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UND, NDSU leaders outline new workforce and national-security investments under New Horizons
Summary
UND and NDSU officials told the Higher Ed subcommittee that state investments have built research infrastructure (nanofoundry, satellite operations, national security corridor) and that NDSU’s New Horizons initiative will speed new workforce-aligned degrees in engineering, ag and health sciences.
University leaders described two related efforts aimed at workforce and research capacity. Mark Askelson, UND associate vice president for research (national security focus), summarized recent investments and capabilities — a nanofoundry, satellite operations, and nascent SCIF and optical-communications capabilities — and said state and internal funding have helped leverage federal awards. ‘‘We have over $50,000,000 at UND in active awards and more than 60 projects,’’ Askelson said, describing how state investment attracted federal funding.
NDSU President Cook described New Horizons as a workforce initiative built on industry engagement and on multiyear internal reforms to retain and recruit students. ‘‘New Horizons for us is really a workforce initiative, about standing up academic degrees that align with the workforce needs of North Dakota in the region,’’ Cook said, noting three components: student success, engineering/ag, and health sciences. Cook said many degree proposals are already in the State Board of Higher Education pipeline and some could be approved within 30 days and implemented for the next academic year.
Committee members asked about timelines and costs for facilities such as a SCIF (secure compartmented information facility). Askelson said a SCIF can be built in the proposed timeframe but certification and recurring costs complicate timing; he described a business model where agencies or contractors pay cost recovery fees for facility use. Senators also questioned indirect cost rates and student access; Askelson emphasized UND’s emphasis on undergraduate research opportunities and workforce training.
Implications: The presentations justify continued legislative oversight of capital needs, certification timelines for secure facilities, and coordination between the university system and state agencies to maximize federal leverage and student access to research experiences.
