STEM Naval Center for Electrification Opportunity
Abstract
The Naval Center for Electrification Opportunity (NCEO) recognizes the exponential growth of electrification applications, as well as Navy recruiting challenges and a decline in youth pursuing technical professions. With electrification technologies explicitly listed as Office of Naval Research core disciplines and Office of the Secretary of Defense Critical Technology Areas, this shortfall in electrification professionals presents a threat to both national and economic security. NCEO will address these threats by launching three naval tailored product lines impacting the Fleet, military contractors, industry stakeholders, and civilian communities alike. These product lines are: 1) Modular remote asynchronous programming, developed by industry professionals, and tailored to naval applications. These courses will upskill enlisted and officer personnel alike, be available through Navy learning platforms, and provide University of Minnesota (UMN) certified continuous learning hours (allowing Professional Engineers to meet continuing education requirements and providing reserve personnel training during their drills). Such programs will be available to domestic and deployed audiences. 2) An integrated and multimodal applied graduate program in Electrification. This master#s degree will build off thecontinuous education modules and leverage the UMN#s College of Science & Engineering#s (CSE) world leading curriculum in electrification. This applied degree will be tailored to working professionals, offered remotely, and will allow direct admission of ROTC and Naval Academy graduates meeting appropriate criteria.3) Vertically integrated curriculum deployed to secondary and post-secondary partners. The dual-use nature of electrification technologies will allow tailored content to be shared with the civilian community, including through transferable credits at the high school, technical college, and community college levels. These partnerships will provide visibility of opportunities to serve within the Navy or options to pursue careers within the navy contractor and industry ecosystems. NCEO#s success will be demonstrated through successful promulgation of these product lines and measured on enrollment figures. Continuous learning modules will track total views, while the graduate degree will maintain counts of enrollees and graduates. Integration with community educators will be measured through successfully executed transfer agreements. The impact of these deliverables will be higher skilled reserve personnel, lower barriers to graduate education across the Fleet, and increased cooperation with industry. This #All of Nation# approach, as called for in the National Security Strategy, will also focus on audiences across the spectrum, including those in underserved populations, rural communities, and urban centers. Combined, NCEO will inspire the next generation of Sailors, technicians, and engineers to contribute to the electrification ecosystem and help the U.S. win the 21st Century.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 15, 2024
- Source ID
- N000142412300
Entities
People
- Travis Thul
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Regents of the University of Minnesota
- United States Navy