Development of a Stackable Certificate Program for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Technicians

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North Dakota established the Northern Plains Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site in 2013. In 2015 Grand Sky, the nation’s first commercial UAS-focused business park, opened in Grand Forks, N.D. and in 2020, work began on the nation’s largest statewide UAS network, enabling UAS flights beyond visual line of sight. During this time, North Dakota’s UAS industry has grown from several dozen workers to more than 1,000. Growth in UAS technology, coupled with advancements in UAS applications in agriculture and natural resources management, has created a need for skilled UAS technicians in rural North Dakota. Dakota College at Bottineau proposes to help meet North Dakota’s emerging need for small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) technicians by developing a stackable certificate program that will prepare graduates to enter the sUAS workforce. This project will advance scientific education and increase prosperity for North Dakota farmers, ranchers, state agencies, and businesses via UAS technology.Through education and hands-on training, the proposed project will address North Dakota’s growing need for licensed sUAS pilots in agriculture and natural resources management. The goals of this project include (1) growing the current sUAS curriculum into a stackable certificate program designed to meet the needs of business, industry and state agency partners; (2) training faculty in sUAS, remote sensing, and agricultural and natural resources software applications; and (3) delivering continuing education in sUAS technology to technicians already in the workplace. The project will enhance the efficiency and accuracy of North Dakota’s agriculture operations and natural resources management by putting drone technology into the hands of highly qualified sUAS pilots. Documented student work and internship experiences will contribute to the body of research on sUAS applications in agriculture and natural resources management. Data collected and project results will be disseminated through NCAT and ATE. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.