UMass Dartmouth will receive $730,090 in state funding to expand offshore wind workforce training and support research tied to the industry's development in New England.
The funding is part of a $4.2 million offshore wind investment package announced by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, according to a community announcement. The awards will support student internships, research on cod spawning grounds in Southern New England and development of a regional monitoring strategy for the Gulf of Maine.
"Offshore wind means good jobs, more clean energy and real economic opportunity for Massachusetts," Healey said. "We're investing in the workers who will build this industry and the research needed to develop it responsibly and protect our fisheries, wildlife and marine environment."
UMass Dartmouth received three grants from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center totaling $730,090. The university was awarded $250,000 to continue its Closing the Experience Gap offshore wind internship program, $280,501 to continue research examining potential impacts on cod spawning grounds and $199,589 to help create a regional data-collection strategy supporting offshore wind monitoring efforts in the Gulf of Maine.
The $250,000 Offshore Wind Works award will fund a two-year continuation of Closing the Experience Gap, a program led by Professor Daniel MacDonald.
The initiative provides UMass Dartmouth students with competitively paid, 200-hour internships at companies and organizations involved in offshore wind and related industries.
Over the past four years, the program has created nearly 100 internship opportunities, benefiting more than 40 students and nearly 20 companies and organizations. The latest funding is expected to support about 30 additional internship placements during the next two years.
"UMass Dartmouth is grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the MassCEC for this important funding," Provost Ramprasad Balasubramanian said. "These grants create meaningful opportunities for our students to gain hands-on experience in a growing industry while contributing to work that matters for the Commonwealth. By connecting education, research, and industry, UMass Dartmouth is helping prepare the next generation of talent, strengthen the local and state economy, and advance Massachusetts' renewable energy strategy."
A $280,501 award will support ongoing research into offshore wind's potential effects on cod spawning grounds in Southern New England.
Another $199,589 grant will fund development of a regional data-collection strategy for the Gulf of Maine. The project includes collaboration with the Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative and Northeast Regional Ocean Council.
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Ben Downing said workforce initiatives and research efforts are both essential to the industry's future.
"These two efforts work in tandem: one grows the talent pipeline for offshore wind projects, the other expands the knowledge base the industry needs for the long haul," Downing said. "Investing in both is how Massachusetts prepares the way for future accelerated offshore wind deployment."
University officials said the projects align with UMass Dartmouth's broader role in offshore wind workforce development and research.
Faculty members conduct work in areas including environmental assessment, marine science, engineering and economic impact analysis, while the university offers degree and certificate programs related to engineering, marine science, environmental policy and supply chain management.
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This article originally appeared on The Herald News: UMass Dartmouth lands state funds for wind energy