The U.S. Department of Energy has publicly revealed that it will award a combined $18.7 million to five higher education institutions to serve as Centers of Excellence for the DOE's Industrial Assessment Centers Program.
These centers of excellence will serve as the so called hubs for the program, according to an April 7 news release. The funding is part of President Joe Biden's Investing in America agenda and comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Strengthening and diversifying the pipeline for high-quality manufacturing and building efficiency jobs is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to create an economy that will allow our nation to reach its clean energy future,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said in the release. “This is a direct investment in the next generation of American workers that will help ensure America’s global leadership in advanced manufacturing and green building technologies.”
The five centers receiving funding include the Great Plains Center of Excellence at Oklahoma State University, Southeastern Center of Excellence at Georgia Tech University, Mid-Atlantic Center of Excellence at Lehigh University, Gulf Coast Center of Excellence at Texas A&M University and Western Center of Excellence at San Francisco State University, the release reported.
Additionally, the DOE opened a $54 million funding opportunity to expand the IAC Program to community colleges, trade schools and union training programs, and to create new Building Training and Assessment Centers at higher education institutions, the release reported. These measures are aimed at training the next generation of clean energy and manufacturing workers.
"The new IACs will focus on high-quality skilled trades job pathways in fields, such as industrial electrician, energy management, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing, while providing hands-on support to small and medium manufactures (sic)," the release reported.
Concept papers are due May 25, and applications are due July 31 for the additional funding opportunity, according to the release.
