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NSF ATE

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MTC NSF-ATE Site

Incorporating Virtual Reality into Advanced Manufacturing Technician Education at a Rural Community College

Sponsoring Agency:

  • National Science Foundation (NSF)
  • Funding: $648,370
  • Grant Timeline: 7/1/23-6/30/26

The Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program, funded by the National Science Foundation, focuses on strengthening the education of highly skilled technicians in advanced technology fields that drive the nation’s economy. The program is centered on community and technical colleges, which play a leadership role in preparing students for in-demand careers in areas such as advanced manufacturing, information technology, engineering technologies, and energy.

ATE projects support partnerships between two-year colleges, four-year institutions, K–12 systems, industry, and workforce organizations to ensure education and training align with current and emerging labor market needs. Funded activities often include curriculum development, faculty professional development, career pathway design, and applied research focused on improving technician education.

Through the ATE program, institutions enhance hands-on, career-focused learning opportunities while building strong connections with employers. These efforts increase student access to high-quality technical education, strengthen workforce readiness, and contribute to regional economic development by preparing graduates for high-demand technical careers.

Project Objectives:

  • Build on existing engineering technology programs with a focus on the smart manufacturing program by incorporating virtual reality into the curriculum.
  • Increase students’ ability to work with advanced automation equipment typically
    used in a semiconductor manufacturing clean room, including autonomous mobile robots, vision enabled robots and collaborative robots. This will serve as a hands-on complement to the VR
    component which will be used to simulate aspects of similar equipment.
  • Provide VR technical training to college and high school instructors.
  • Increase program enrollment and retention of rural students and women pursuing engineering technology degrees and certificates.
  • Pilot licensed VR based advanced manufacturing modules as a tool for workforce training
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