The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a three-year $395,968 grant to Ohio Wesleyan as part of the federal agency’s new Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) initiative. The grant was awarded to OWU faculty member and principal investigator David Markwardt, Ph.D., along with co-principal investigators Craig Jackson, Ph.D., and Hanliang Guo, Ph.D., who will undertake a project titled, “EmpowerEd — Building the Future Workforce Together.”
The focus of the project is to build relationships with industry experts and government agencies in order to identify the specific skills and knowledge needed for STEM careers. OWU will use the NSF funds to develop an integrated internship program with corporate partners. OWU faculty will work closely with students and industry mentors to prepare students for their off-campus internships and to extend their projects once they return to campus. This group of faculty will use the information from their research and industry partnerships to ensure that all OWU STEM majors are prepared for careers in their fields upon graduation.
When announcing OWU’s grant award, Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director of Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships stated, “We were impressed by Ohio Wesleyan’s application because of the strong commitment it represents to develop new, inclusive innovation ecosystems by connecting the diverse networks of partners to work together to drive the expansion of key technologies — and the technology workforce — in the U. S., and, in turn, address pressing national, societal, and geostrategic challenges.”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics predicts a talent shortage of 3.5 million workers in STEM fields by 2029. Primed with this NSF grant in addition to a nationally recognized STEM program, Markwardt said, “Ohio Wesleyan is well-suited to specifically address this shortfall.” OWU’s EPIIC grant is one of five currently active grants the university has secured with NSF.
OWU Sponsoring Organization/Office: University Advancement
Contact: Susan Zimmerman at alumni@owu.edu