Intel to give Ohio colleges $17.7 million for semiconductor research, education

Sheridan Hendrix, The Columbus Dispatch
·6 min read

Intel will give $17.7 million over the next three years to fund eight projects with more than 80 Ohio colleges and universities developing semiconductor education and workforce programs.

The tech giant announced the first phase of funding for its Ohio Semiconductor Education and Research Program ahead of Friday's groundbreaking event in New Albany.

In March, Intel executives gathered Ohio's higher education leaders and some elected officials at Columbus State Community College to detail the company's plan to invest $100 million in local and national higher education programs over the next decade.

Intel's investment is two-fold: Intel will invest $50 million in grants directly to Ohio higher education institutions and an additional $50 million will be distributed to educators and science programs nationwide to create STEM curriculum. The National Science Foundation pledge to match another $50 million to support new research initiatives across the country.

More: Ohio State, Columbus State to partner with other Midwestern schools for microchip research

This $17.7 million is the first batch of that promised $50 million and will be distributed to the seven institutions leading the projects: University of Cincinnati, Central State University, Columbus State Community College, Kent State University, Lorain County Community College, Ohio University and two from Ohio State University.

The funding is intended to help Ohio colleges and universities address semiconductor manufacturing workforce shortages and technical challenges, and to develop new capabilities with an emphasis on chipmaking.

Intel officials said they expect this first phase of the program to produce nearly 9,000 graduates for the industry and provide more than 2,300 scholarships over a three-year period, creating a pipeline of homegrown talent.

"Today marks a pivotal moment in the journey to build a more geographically balanced and resilient semiconductor supply chain," said Pat Gelsinger, CEO of Intel. "The establishment of the Silicon Heartland is testament to the power of government incentives to unlock private investment, create thousands of high-paying jobs, and benefit U.S. economic and national security."

More: Biden signs CHIPS Act, paving way for Intel buildout of New Albany site

Intel plans to start recruiting for its two new factories this fall.

The proposals Intel plans to fund include:

Ohio-Southwest Alliance on Semiconductors and Integrated Scalable-Manufacturing (OASiS): Led by University of Cincinnati, Intel awarded these 15 Southwest Ohio institutions $1.1 million to focus on developing technicians and entry-level engineers to create a “fab-ready” semiconductor workforce. Partnering schools include:

  • Cedarville University

  • Central State University

  • Cincinnati State Community College

  • Clark State Community College

  • Edison State Community College

  • Miami University

  • Mount Vernon Nazarene University

  • Sinclair Community College

  • University of Cincinnati

  • University of Cincinnati Blue Ash

  • University of Cincinnati Clermont

  • University of Dayton

  • Wittenberg University

  • Wright State University

  • Xavier University

Intel Semiconductor Education Program at Central State University (ISEP-CSU): Led by Central State University – Ohio's only public HBCU – this collaboration will prioritize adding semiconductor courses to existing manufacturing and computer science programs to prepare a diverse group of technicians and entry-level engineers for Intel careers. Partnering institutions include:

  • Central State University

  • Columbus State Community College

  • Stark State College

  • Ohio State University

  • Wright State University

Ohio Semiconductor Collaboration Network:  Intel awarded $2.8 million to a group of 23 community and technical colleges, led by Columbus State Community College, to build and sustain a technician pipeline in the state by adding semiconductor-specific courses and equipment to existing advanced manufacturing programs. Partnering institutions include:

  • Belmont College

  • Central Ohio Technical College

  • Cincinnati State Technical & Community College

  • Clark State Community College

  • Columbus State Community College

  • Cuyahoga Community College

  • Eastern Gateway Community College

  • Edison State Community College

  • Hocking College

  • Lakeland Community College

  • Lorain County Community College

  • Marion Technical College

  • North Central State College

  • Northwest State Community College

  • Owens Community College

  • Rhodes State College

  • Rio Grande Community College

  • Sinclair Community College

  • Southern State Community College

  • Stark State College

  • Terra State Community College

  • Washington State Community College

  • Zane State College

Pathways to a Semiconductor Career: Based out of Kent State University, these Northeast Ohio schools will expand facilities equipment and use virtual reality and augmented reality learning experiences in a range of programs for fab technicians, entry-level engineers and advanced degrees in manufacturing. Partnering institutions include:

  • Baldwin Wallace University

  • Cuyahoga Community College

  • Hiram College

  • John Carroll University

  • Kent State University

  • Kent State Ashtabula

  • Kent State East Liverpool

  • Kent State Geauga

  • Kent State Salem

  • Kent State Stark

  • Kent State Trumbull

  • Kent State Tuscarawas

  • Lake Erie College

  • Lakeland Community College

  • Lorain County Community College

  • Malone University

  • Mount Vernon Nazarene University

  • Muskingum University

  • Notre Dame College

  • Walsh University

  • Wilberforce University

Ohio TechNet Northeast Ohio Semiconductor Workforce Consortium (OTN-NEO): These 11 Northeast Ohio schools, led by Lorain County Community College, will provide training programs in automation, robotics, microelectronics, and semiconductor processing to help students develop technology skills that support semiconductor fabrication and equipment operations. Partnering institutions include:

  • Ashland University

  • Case Western Reserve University

  • Cleveland State University

  • Cuyahoga Community College

  • Kent State University

  • Lakeland Community College

  • Lorain County Community College

  • Ohio Dominican University

  • Stark State College

  • University of Toledo

  • Youngstown State University

Appalachian Semiconductor Education & Technical Ecosystem (ASCENT): These 14 schools, led by Ohio University and all based in the state's Appalachian region, were awarded $3 million to recruit students from underrepresented groups and offer training programs for fab technicians, entry-level engineers and advanced-degree graduates to fulfill the workforce demands of Intel and broader community. Partnering institutions include:

  • Belmont College

  • Eastland-Fairfield Career Center

  • Hocking College

  • Marietta College

  • Mid-East Career and Technology Center

  • Ohio University

  • Ohio University Chillicothe

  • Ohio University Eastern

  • Ohio University Lancaster

  • Ohio University Southern

  • Ohio University Zanesville

  • Shawnee State University

  • Tri-County Career Center

  • Zane State College

Center for Advanced Semiconductor Fabrication Research and Education (CAFE): One of the two proposals led by Ohio State is a collaboration of 10 universities, which was awarded $3 million to focus on research for graduate and undergraduate students by providing an experiential learning environment to advance the state of semiconductor fabrication for next-generation technologies. Partnering institutions include:

  • Central State University

  • College of Wooster

  • Denison University

  • Kenyon College

  • Oberlin College

  • Ohio University

  • Ohio State University

  • Ohio Wesleyan University

  • University of Cincinnati

  • Wilberforce University

The Ohio Partnership for a Diverse and Inclusive Semiconductor Ecosystem and Workforce: Ohio State will also lead a multi-institution partnership that will offer a range of programs, including augmented and virtual reality learning, for fab technicians, entry-level engineers and advanced-degree graduates with training in advanced manufacturing to develop a skilled semiconductor workforce throughout Ohio. Partnering institutions include:

  • Apollo Career and Technology Centers

  • Case Western Reserve University

  • Central Ohio Technical College

  • Central State University

  • College of Wooster

  • Columbus State Community College

  • C-TEC of Licking County

  • Denison University

  • Kenyon College

  • Marion Technical College

  • North Central State College

  • Oberlin College

  • Ohio State University

  • Ohio State ATI in Wooster

  • Ohio State Lima

  • Ohio State Mansfield

  • Ohio State Marion

  • Ohio State Newark

  • Ohio Wesleyan University

  • Rhodes State College

  • Tri-Rivers Pioneer

  • University of Dayton

  • Wilberforce University

Patrick P. Gelsinger, left, CEO of Intel Corporation, celebrates after receiving a honorary doctorate of engineering from Ohio State University President Kristina M. Johnson, right, during OSU's spring commencement at Ohio Stadium in May. Ohio State will lead two different semiconductor education projects funded by Intel.
Patrick P. Gelsinger, left, CEO of Intel Corporation, celebrates after receiving a honorary doctorate of engineering from Ohio State University President Kristina M. Johnson, right, during OSU's spring commencement at Ohio Stadium in May. Ohio State will lead two different semiconductor education projects funded by Intel.

shendrix@dispatch.com

@sheridan120

Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for her Mobile Newsroom newsletter here and Extra Credit, her education newsletter, here.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Intel invests $17.7 million for Ohio semiconductor research, education