Northland Community & Technical College in Thief River Falls, MN, has been awarded a five-year, $7.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Advanced Technological Education program to continue its pioneering work in autonomous technology education. This is Northland's second consecutive NSF grant.
The funding will support the National Center for Autonomous Technologies (NCAT) at Northland's Thief River Falls Aerospace site, which has been instrumental in promoting autonomous technologies across the U.S. since its establishment in 2019. NCAT collaborates with long-standing NSF partner institutions, including the Marine Technology Society, the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology, the GeoTech Center, and the Minnesota State Transportation Center of Excellence.
"Northland has driven innovation in autonomous technology education for many years," said Jonathan Beck, NCAT executive director, principal investigator and military veteran. "These technologies are rapidly transforming the way we all live and work, and NCAT provides significant investments in the technical education required to sustain the United States as a leader in autonomous technologies."
NCAT has been designated by the Federal Aviation Administration Collegiate Training Initiative (UAS CTI) as the repository for content and curriculum for its 141 member colleges and universities. Additionally, NCAT partners with the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International on workforce research and serves as a training provider for the Trusted Operator Program.
"With the explosive growth of autonomous technology across many diverse industries, including the Grand Sky project, we are delighted to receive another five-year NSF grant to continue our research and further define the skills needed," said Dr. Sandy Kiddoo, president of Northland.
This latest multi-million-dollar grant will fund NCAT's efforts to define the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA) required for autonomous vehicle technicians. In 2023, NCAT published the "Recommended CORE KSA Standards for Autonomous Systems Technicians," outlining core competencies for technicians across air, land and sea. These standards provide educational institutions with the guidelines to properly train students for various career pathways in the autonomous technology sector.
NCAT's partnerships extend to several prominent organizations. The Marine Technology Society promotes the advancement of marine technology, while the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology focuses on driving the skills needed for the next generation of automotive technicians. The Minnesota State Transportation Center of Excellence and the National Geospatial Technology Center of Excellence contribute to workforce innovation and geospatial technology education, respectively.
