CMU’s Block Center named these 9 Build Back Better subgrant awardees

In September 2022, Pittsburgh stakeholders took notice when the federal Build Back Better Regional Challenge dedicated $62.7 million to regional robotics projects, eager to see how the funding would be put to use.

Over the 12 months that followed, we’ve seen the grant fund projects ranging from factories that produce startups to equity-based fellowships, and its disbursement hasn’t ended yet.

On behalf of Carnegie Mellon University, the Block Center for Technology and Society just announced the recipients of the Southwest Pennsylvania Build Back Better subgrants, distributed from the initial Build Back Better grant.

After a request-for-proposals call from the Block Center, a number of Pittsburgh institutions and organizations submitted their proposals detailing the ways in which they can support workforce training for future employment opportunities in the robotics, autonomous and advanced manufacturing industries. Nine were selected to receive funding.

The Block Center was deemed to be the best entity to choose subgrant recipients because its mission aligns, Executive Director Steve Wray said. Its parent institution, CMU, is a member of the the Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative, the coalition of 90-plus local organizations that oversees the region’s Build Back Better grants.

“These projects demonstrate the mission of the Block Center — examining the impact of emerging technologies on the future of work, harnessing technology for social good and ensuring that innovation is more inclusive,” Wray told Technical.ly.

This marks the first of what will be three rounds of grants over the next three years, and at this time, $630,000 in subgrants has been distributed. Additionally, Wray said these projects were selected due to their ability to support the areas already being invested in by the Build Back Better grants, namely robotics and autonomy. The end result, according to the ED, is a mix of initiatives and opportunities focused on developing new approaches to training.

“These are designed to expand [the] awareness of advanced manufacturing in robotics career opportunities in the region, and then others, some which are from CMU faculty members, which are trying to employ new techniques or new technologies in the use of the training,” Wray said.

The recipients of the subgrants are:

• “Bridging the Gap Between Education and Talent” — Pittsburgh Technology Council/Fortyx80
• “Pittsburgh Gateways Corp/CorePower Job Training Program” — Pittsburgh Gateways
• “Essentials of Robotics: Short-Term Certificate Program” — Justin Starr, Community College of Allegheny County
• “Providing Robotics Skills Training to Manufacturing Pre-Apprenticeship Program” — New Century Careers
• “Manufacturing Career Readiness Curriculum Pilot” — Catalyst Connection
• “Growth Mindset Training for and in the Labor Market” — Ashley Orr, CMU Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy
• “AI Tech Training” – Vu Nguyen, Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy
• “Machine Learning Augmented Youth Welding Training Support from Ideation, Planning, to Manufacturing” — Dina El Zanfaly, CMU School of Design and Daragh Byrne, CMU School of Architecture
• “New Bridges to the Digital Economy” — Lee Branstetter, CMU Heinz College

Atiya Irvin-Mitchell is a 2022-2024 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Heinz Endowments.