Multi-institution, $4.6 million NSF grant to

The Heart for Nanotechnology Schooling and Utilization (CNEU) within the Division of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State was named as one of many recipients of a four-year, $4.6 million, multi-institution grant from the Nationwide Science Basis (NSF) to offer microelectronics and nanomanufacturing coaching to army service members and veterans. The Penn State share of the grant is near $2 million to concentrate on the continued growth of programs and curriculum applications for the coaching. 

The worldwide nanomanufacturing-based market and labor wants are estimated to double each three years, based on a report by Eightfold AI. To fulfill the worldwide demand for important semiconductor purposes alone, the U.S. wants so as to add about 5.5% of the worldwide manufacturing. This quantities to roughly 20 fabrication vegetation and 70,000-90,000 whole fabrication jobs.   

“To fulfill this chance, the U.S. wants to extend its present expert workforce by 50%, however only a few absolutely geared up coaching applications exist in the present day,” mentioned Osama Awadelkarim, UNESCO Chair, professor of engineering science and mechanics and CNEU director at Penn State. “This grant will help a consortium of 9 tutorial establishments and eight industries to offer classroom research and hands-on coaching that meet the distinctive wants of army service members and veteran college students, whether or not they need to advance inside the armed forces or transition into the civilian sector.”  

The NSF grant was awarded lower than two weeks earlier than President Joe Biden signed the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act to help home semiconductor manufacturing capabilities and improve analysis growth within the sector. An built-in circuit, generally referred to as a “chip,” is an meeting of billions of tiny digital gadgets fabricated and interconnected on a small semiconductor materials floor.  

The army provides a big pool of candidates for this coaching. In accordance with Awadelkarim, many have already got expertise within the superior expertise trade, and others possess in-demand management qualities that make them distinctive candidates for technical positions within the civilian workforce.   

The CNEU will lead the consortium with a core of 4 neighborhood faculties which can be positioned close to army bases, together with Tidewater Neighborhood Faculty (TCC) in Norfolk, Virginia, Southwestern Faculty in San Diego, Rio Salado Faculty in Tempe, Arizona, and Georgia Piedmont Technical Faculty in Atlanta.  

The neighborhood faculties will recruit college students for every 12-week course, which incorporates distant courses within the mornings and expertise coaching within the afternoons. Upon profitable completion, college students can sit for ASTM Worldwide (previously referred to as American Society for Testing and Supplies) certification. The course, which will probably be supplied every fall and spring semester by way of 2026, is predicted to supply about 300 graduates.  

The NSF funded the pilot Nanomanufacturing Certificates Program in spring and fall 2021. CNEU, TCC and Norfolk Southern College (NSU) delivered this system to 9 Navy veterans. Six of the graduates obtained ASTM Worldwide certificates, 4 of whom are presently working for nanomanufacturing corporations and two of whom at the moment are pursuing bachelor’s levels in engineering.   

College companions becoming a member of Penn State and NSU within the nationwide rollout are College of California San Diego, Georgia Institute of Expertise and Arizona State College. The schools will share assets, amenities and digital instrumentation with their close by neighborhood faculties. 

Awadelkarim anticipates energetic engagement and help from the consortium’s trade companions — SEMI North America, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Firm, World Foundries, MICRON Expertise, Tokyo Electron, Qorvo, Wolfspeed and Common Show Company — by way of hands-on coaching, webinars and human assets mentoring.  

“Low consciousness of nanomanufacturing and microelectronics processing careers has hindered enrollment throughout coaching applications in any respect ranges, particularly on the affiliate diploma degree,” Awadelkarim mentioned. “The partnerships among the many industries, neighborhood faculties and universities — which embody curricula and best-practices sharing, coordination amongst applications and new approaches to creating workforce coaching — will start to handle these points.”