Washburn Tech granted $400,000 as part of new consortium

TOPEKA (KSNT) – The Washburn Institute of Technology (Washburn Tech) is being given $400,000 to promote workforce development and regional needs.

On Monday, Washburn Tech announced it was selected by the National Science Foundation to receive funds under the Funding Opportunity NSF 23-528 Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity, according to a press release from Washburn Tech.

Washburn Tech joins four other educational institutions to form a new consortium called Generating Regional Innovative Partnerships (GRIP) intended to promote workforce development programs and regional workforce needs, according to the press release.

“Washburn Tech is poised to become an even more vital player in the northeast Kansas manufacturing ecosystem through a partnership with the National Science Foundation and fellow cohort institutions,” said Chaz Havens, assistant dean, instructional services at Washburn Tech. “The GRIP collaboration will empower faculty to deepen their expertise in training individuals for cutting-edge technologies. In addition, we expect this initiative to enhance recruitment efforts and strengthen partnerships with the manufacturing industry.”

A work-based learning coordinator will be hired, funded in part by the GRIP grant.