Northland Community & Technical College in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, has received a five-year, $7.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation (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 benefit the National Center for Autonomous Technologies (NCAT) at Thief River Falls Aerospace’s Northland site, which has been instrumental in advancing autonomous technologies across the United States since its founding in 2019. NCAT works 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 been driving innovation in autonomous technology education for many years,” said Jonathan BeckNCAT Executive Director, Principal Researcher and Military Veteran. “These technologies are rapidly changing the way we live and work, and NCAT is investing significantly in the technical training needed to keep the United States a leader in autonomous technologies.”

NCAT has been designated by the Federal Aviation Administration Collegiate Training Initiative (UAS CTI) as the repository of content and curriculum for its 141 member colleges and universities. In addition, NCAT partners with the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International on labor market research and serves as a training provider for the Trusted Operator Program.

“Given the explosive growth of autonomous technology across many different industries, including the Grand Sky project, we are very pleased to receive another five-year grant from NSF to continue our research and further define the required capabilities,” said Dr. Sandy KiddooPresident 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 released the Recommended CORE KSA Standards for Autonomous Systems Technicians, which outline the core competencies for air, land, and sea technicians. These standards provide educational institutions with the guidelines to adequately prepare students for various career paths in autonomous technology.

NCAT’s partnerships extend to several notable organizations. The Marine Technology Society promotes the advancement of marine technology, while the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology focuses on fostering the skills needed by 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.