{"626357":{"#nid":"626357","#data":{"type":"news","title":"USG, Georgia Tech Awarded National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerator Grant","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has been awarded a grant of $499,753 by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/od\/oia\/convergence-accelerator\/index.jsp\u0022\u003ENational Science Foundation\u0026rsquo;s Convergence Accelerator\u003C\/a\u003E to develop the Competency Catalyst project in conjunction with the University System of Georgia (USG). The Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U) will work in partnership with a skilled project team that includes university faculty, researchers, and educational technology leaders from across the country to oversee the successful implementation of Competency Catalyst.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECompetency Catalyst is a database that helps working professionals identify emerging technological areas that are in demand. Armed with this knowledge, workers can enhance their education and training to better meet the needs of the marketplace.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It is essential that today\u0026rsquo;s workforce be able to compare their skills to those needed by employers so that they can identify gaps in their skills or experience and find opportunities to learn, train and\/or reskill,\u0026rdquo; said \u003Cstrong\u003ESteve Harmon\u003C\/strong\u003E, associate director of C21U and associate dean of research for Georgia Tech Professional Education (GTPE). \u0026ldquo;A project like Competency Catalyst creates tangible pathways and access to data so that both employers and workers can better understand their needs in an ever-changing, technology-driven labor market.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECompetency Catalyst leverages a network of over 200 academic institutions, corporate partners, educational institutions, and standards bodies, as well as investments in infrastructure, open data, standards, and technology to create a national-scale repository of in-demand competencies and skills. This repository will have appropriate access controls but will be open to the workforce for exploration.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECompetency Catalyst will have far-reaching implications for the labor market and higher education. The tools developed will create a \u0026ldquo;digital thread\u0026rdquo; connecting educational programs to job market demands, enabling students and educators to adjust their programs to current and future needs in real time and allowing local employers to align their needs with national demands and to influence the supply side of the talent pipeline.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis project will utilize National Science Foundation (NSF) funding to\u0026hellip;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Col\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003Esupport the Competency Catalyst repository with artificial intelligence (AI)I-based tools for extracting competency frameworks from job postings, credentials, and other sources;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003Ecreate an AI-based \u0026ldquo;Rosetta Stone\u0026rdquo; that aligns these frameworks with each other and with educational and training experiences; and\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003Edevelop applications that help educators, trainers, and students target current and predicted skills and competencies.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ol\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHarmon\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003EMyk Garn\u003C\/strong\u003E, assistant vice chancellor for new learning models for the USG Board of Regents, will lead the development and implementation of Competency Catalyst, alongside a skilled team of higher education and industry experts.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Competency Catalyst team includes:\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMatthew Gee,\u003C\/strong\u003E co-founder and CEO of BrightHive and senior researcher at the University of Chicago\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJeffrey Grann\u003C\/strong\u003E, credential solutions lead for Credential Engine\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJoseph Karaganis\u003C\/strong\u003E, director of OpenSyllabus and vice president at The American Assembly at Columbia University\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EElaine Kelsey\u003C\/strong\u003E, senior software engineer for research at Eduworks\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJeanne Kitchens\u003C\/strong\u003E, associate director at the Southern Illinois University Center for Workforce Development\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELaura Levy\u003C\/strong\u003E, research scientist II for Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Institute for People and Technology and the Interactive Media Technology Center\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMatt Lisle\u003C\/strong\u003E, director of digital learning technologies for Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Center for 21st Century Universities\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBeth Mynatt\u003C\/strong\u003E, executive director of Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Institute for People and Technology and distinguished professor in the College of Computing\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETom Plagge\u003C\/strong\u003E, co-founder and head of platform for BrightHive\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFritz Ray\u003C\/strong\u003E, director of engineering at Eduworks\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERobby Robson\u003C\/strong\u003E, president and founder of Eduworks\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStuart Sutton\u003C\/strong\u003E, associate professor emeritus at the University of Washington\u0026rsquo;s Information School\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026quot;As we seek to chart the future of the human-technology frontier in a world of rapidly changing industry needs, AI tools, and university educational programs, projects like Competency Catalyst are a critical piece of the puzzle,\u0026quot; said \u003Cstrong\u003EMynatt\u003C\/strong\u003E. \u0026ldquo;The Institute for People and Technology is excited to collaborate with USG, the Center for 21\u003Csup\u003Est\u003C\/sup\u003E Century Universities, and all of the exceptional contributors who will help bring this groundbreaking program to life.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECreated in 1931, the University System of Georgia (USG) is composed of the state\u0026rsquo;s 26 higher education institutions, public library service and archives. Governed by the 19-member Board of Regents, the USG is a recognized national leader in affordability, degree attainment, and organizational efficiency. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf you would like to find out more about Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Center for 21st Century Universities (C21U) and become involved in innovative, education-oriented projects like Competency Catalyst, please visit \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/c21u.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eour website\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E or email \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ed-innovation@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eed-innovation@gatech.edu\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has been awarded a grant of $499,753 by the National Science Foundation\u0026rsquo;s Convergence Accelerator to develop the Competency Catalyst project in conjunction with the University System of Georgia (USG).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Georgia Institute of Technology has been awarded a grant of $499,753 by the National Science Foundation\u2019s Convergence Accelerator to develop the Competency Catalyst project in conjunction with the University System of Georgia (USG). "}],"uid":"27998","created_gmt":"2019-09-18 17:05:41","changed_gmt":"2019-09-24 11:24:35","author":"Brittany Aiello","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-09-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2019-09-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"66244","name":"C21U"},{"id":"131901","name":"Provost"},{"id":"603290","name":"The Digital Learning Team"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"182387","name":"Competency Catalyst"},{"id":"363","name":"NSF"},{"id":"362","name":"National Science Foundation"},{"id":"13481","name":"C21U"},{"id":"172807","name":"Steve Harmon"},{"id":"1966","name":"usg"},{"id":"182388","name":"Myk Garn"},{"id":"12888","name":"IPaT"},{"id":"10989","name":"Beth Mynatt"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrittany Aiello\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Program Manager, C21U\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003Ebrittany@c21u.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brittany@c21u.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}