NSF Funds STEM Reskilling Courseware Research

The National Science Foundation has announced five awards to universities to develop and study open source platforms to train and reskill workers in STEM fields.

businessman reaching toward stem icons

The National Science Foundation is launching a new initiative to help train and reskill workers in STEM fields through the development of open source learning platforms at five universities. The Production Engineering Education and Research (PEER) award recipients will each receive approximately $2 million to create online courseware to teach "key STEM skills."

The University of Southern California, Purdue University, Northeastern University, the Colorado School of Mines and Oregon State University were selected for the program. PEER is funded by a $10 million gift from The Boeing Company.

The program was founded to create tools to teach "vital STEM skills" through online micro-certificates at the community college, undergraduate, graduate and professional levels. Each of the awardees will also study the effectiveness of online courseware to determine what platforms work best with learners at various skill levels in a number of different environments.

In addition, the NSF initiative will fund three conferences to bring together experts from academia, industry, nonprofits and governments to focus on challenges and opportunities in strengthening lifelong STEM education efforts.

More information on the PEER program can be found on NSF's website.

About the Author

Sara Friedman is a reporter/producer for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe covering education policy and a wide range of other public-sector IT topics.

Friedman is a graduate of Ithaca College, where she studied journalism, politics and international communications.

Friedman can be contacted at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @SaraEFriedman.

Click here for previous articles by Friedman.


Featured

  • From Fire TV to Signage Stick: University of Utah's Digital Signage Evolution

    Jake Sorensen, who oversees sponsorship and advertising and Student Media in Auxiliary Business Development at the University of Utah, has navigated the digital signage landscape for nearly 15 years. He was managing hundreds of devices on campus that were incompatible with digital signage requirements and needed a solution that was reliable and lowered labor costs. The Amazon Signage Stick, specifically engineered for digital signage applications, gave him the stability and design functionality the University of Utah needed, along with the assurance of long-term support.

  • cybersecurity analyst in a modern operations center monitors multiple digital screens showing padlock icons, graphs, and a global map with security markers

    Louisiana State University Doubles Down on Larger Student-Run SOC

    In an effort to provide students with increased access to real-world cybersecurity experience, Louisiana State University has expanded its relationship with cybersecurity solutions provider TekStream to launch TigerSOC, a new student-run security operations center.

  • flowing lines and geometric shapes representing data flow and analysis

    Complete College America Launches Center to Boost Data-Driven Student Success Strategies

    National nonprofit Complete College America (CCA) recently launched the Center for Leadership, Institutional Metrics, and Best Practices (CLIMB), with the goal of helping higher education institutions use data-driven strategies to improve student outcomes.

  • geometric pattern features abstract icons of a dollar sign, graduation cap, and document

    Maricopa Community Colleges Adopts Platform to Combat Student Application Fraud

    In an effort to secure its admissions and financial processes, Maricopa Community Colleges has partnered with A.M. Simpkins and Associates (AMSA) to implement the company's S.A.F.E (Student Application Fraudulent Examination) across the district's 10 institutions.