WASHINGTON — Some of the worlds brightest new minds in science and technology are attending colleges and universities in Washington.
And a new investment from the federal government is aimed at increasing opportunities and innovation in our state.
This week at the University of Washington leaders from the National Science Foundation and lawmakers laid out how our country will benefit from the 250 billion dollar ‘Chips & Science Act’.
“We have never seen global competition like we are seeing today, which is a good thing. Because it motivates us, it inspires us. It goads us to the do better, faster, more!” said Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan the Director, National Science Foundation.
The act passed by congress will triple the NSF’s annual STEM education budget over five years.
With some of that money coming to Washington Colleges.
“It is projected that we have. We already have a 3 million stem worker shortfall. I’m not talking about in 2050. I’m talking about in the next couple of years,” said Dr. Ana Mari Cauce the President of the University of Washington.
Part of the event this week was a tour of the QuantumX Lab at the UW, where some of the newest technologies are born.
But according to local leaders in higher education, the new act isn’t just about improving research in our country.
“We also need to bring back jobs in advanced manufacturing so that we are not dependent on supplies and materials from other countries. So that we are not subject to the geopolitical forces of the world or tensions in the world,” said Fmr. Ambassador Gary Locke who is the President of Bellevue College.
Source: komonews