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National Science Foundation Grant

Two students using an ipad, tinkering with a robotic arm

The use of industrial robots is creating a workforce need for technicians with high-tech skills that include vision, mobility, and cobot capabilities.  To help fulfill this employment need, North Iowa Area Community College has received two grants from the National Science Foundation that have impacted student opportunities in the field of robotics.   

NextGen Technicians:  Addressing Industry Demand for Robotics (Grant No. 1901957), which ended May 2022, allowed NIACC to purchase state-of-the art robotic equipment for students to gain knowledge and experience necessary for success in the workplace as industrial technicians.    

The current Advancing NextGen Technicians: Addressing New Industry Demand for Robotics Because of COVID-19 (Grant No. 2055293) Project continues to increase the number of industrial technicians who have intermediate level training in equipment and instrumentation.  Additional industrial robotic equipment has enhanced the Advanced Manufacturing Lab to provide cutting-edge technology for students.   

Four students posing next to large robotic equipment

Students have the opportunity to receive National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) credentialing by taking the Festo Level 1: Fundamentals of Robotics and the Festo Level 2:  Applied Robotics certification programs.  To date, 89% of students who have taken the Fundamentals of Robotics exam and 100 percent of those students who have taken the Applied Robotics exam have received NC3 certification. 

With the Advancing NextGen Technicians grant, NIACC has been able to: 

  1. Acquire advanced robotics equipment and develop curriculum to train technicians in robotics that are applicable to local manufacturing needs. 
  2. Train faculty in new robotics technology, including MiR (Mobility Industrial Robots) and cobots with vision capabilities. 
  3. Train and credential all NIACC IST degree students in a newly created Level 2 Robotics course, using NC3 credentialing coursework embedded into the course. 
  4. Train additional IMM degree students with an optional robotics certificate add-on. 

The NextGen Technicians project is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. 1901957 and 2055293.