(Press-News.org) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Stellantis today announced the launch of the Battery Workforce Challenge, which includes a three-year collegiate engineering competition; vocational training; youth education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); and career and technical education.
DOE has set a bold target to address the climate crisis and puts our nation on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by 2050 for the benefit of all Americans. Key to this target goal are the design and development of advanced batteries to electrify the transportation and energy sectors and a highly skilled domestic workforce with the hands-on experience and knowledge needed for in-demand positions throughout the electric vehicle (EV)/battery industry.
“American leadership in the global battery supply chain will be based not only on our innovation, but also on our skilled workforce of engineers, designers, scientists, production workers, and technicians” — Michael Berube, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation and Fuels at the U.S. Department of Energy
Managed by Argonne National Laboratory for DOE and co-sponsored by Stellantis, this government and industry partnership will build the next generation of engineers, technicians and workers to address the unprecedented demand for a domestic EV/battery workforce.
“American leadership in the global battery supply chain will be based not only on our innovation, but also on our skilled workforce of engineers, designers, scientists, production workers, and technicians,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary for Sustainable Transportation and Fuels at the U.S. Department of Energy, Michael Berube. “This comprehensive workforce program will build an educational ecosystem delivering training and education for high school graduates, and vocational and transitional workers, fostering a diverse talent pipeline of trained engineers, workers and technicians who can charge North America’s battery industry forward.”
Kicking off in fall 2023, the Battery Workforce Challenge includes an advanced battery design and development student competition series that invites universities and vocational schools from across North America to design, build, test and integrate an advanced EV battery into a future Stellantis vehicle.
“With our Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan, Stellantis is taking a leadership role in decarbonization that will drive us to become an industry champion in the fight against climate change, reaching carbon net zero emissions by 2038,” said Mark Stewart, Stellantis North America Chief Operating Officer. “The Battery Workforce Challenge will help train the engineers of tomorrow and is a win-win for Stellantis and the entire battery industry as we address our nation’s toughest energy and mobility challenges by helping to build a highly skilled and productive future workforce.”
Teams will follow real-world industry milestones focused on battery design, simulation, controls development, testing, and vehicle integration and demonstration. Participants will also learn valuable project management, communications, teamwork and problem-solving skills that will provide unparalleled educational experience and ready them for future careers throughout the battery industry.
Additional workforce and education initiatives will complement the challenge, including a national Career-Connected Learning Management System to provide flexible, accessible and equitable training for learners across the education pipeline, as well as high school graduates and transitional workers, to connect participants to top jobs from the nation’s leading automotive and battery employers.
“We’re excited to welcome 11 teams to participate in the Battery Workforce Challenge, which is a great opportunity for college and vocational students to experience high-impact collaborations,” said Paul Kearns, director at Argonne National Laboratory. He added, “We are pleased to manage this competition, which supports both advanced battery innovations and the development of the next generation of battery researchers and professionals.”
For more background about the Battery Workforce Challenge, please visit BattChallenge.org.
Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America’s scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.
END
U.S. Department of Energy and Stellantis announce the Battery Workforce Challenge
Advanced battery design competition will help nation transition to electric mobility and clean energy
2023-03-24
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Study finds higher risk of sleep problems in gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth
2023-03-24
Toronto, ON - A new national study, published in LGBT Health, finds that lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth are twice as likely to report trouble falling or staying asleep than their straight peers. Greater depression, stress, and family conflict contribute to the sleep problems of LGB youth.
“Young people who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual may face discrimination and negative attitudes because of their sexual orientation. These experiences can make it harder for them to get a good night’s sleep,” says lead author, Jason Nagata, MD, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. “Difficulties getting ...
UW researchers identify cell type that could be key to preventing marrow transplant complication
2023-03-24
A bone marrow transplant can be a lifesaving treatment for people with relapsed blood cancers, but a potentially lethal complication known as graft-versus-host disease put limitations on this procedure. New research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison is helping to change that by identifying the cell population that causes GVHD, a target that may make bone marrow transplants safer and more effective.
An allogenic (from a donor) bone marrow transplant is a common treatment for blood cancers and other diseases of the immune system. During the transplant, the patient’s immune cells are replaced with the donor’s ...
Buprenorphine after nonfatal opioid overdose results in reduced risk of overdose death
2023-03-24
Receiving medication for opioid use disorders, such as buprenorphine after an overdose, leads to lower mortality risk, according to a Rutgers study.
Drug overdose deaths are a significant public health concern in the United States. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, there were more than 105,000 drug overdose deaths in 2021, which were largely attributed to opioids. Rutgers researchers found that opioid-involved overdose deaths following nonfatal overdose events are largely preventable with buprenorphine medication for opioid use disorder.
The medication, approved by the Food and Drug Administration, is a highly effective ...
Narrowing the digital divide for health care
2023-03-24
Many parts of rural America with less access to health care also have limited broadband internet that could help them take advantage of increasingly popular online health services.
A new study by the University of Cincinnati highlighted disparities in access to digital technology that could widen the gap in access to health care. The study found that socially vulnerable communities in the United States face more barriers to adequate health care, live in areas with fewer health care resources and have less access to high-speed internet.
UC researchers ...
Corporate investment could improve climate-tech innovation
2023-03-24
MADISON—Corporate investments in climate-tech start-ups are a growing but overlooked aspect of energy innovation. According to a new report from Morgan Edwards, a professor at the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and her lead co-author at University of Maryland, these investments should be more fully considered as methods to advance climate technology. The report was published in the journal Joule on March 17.
Start-up companies have the potential to rapidly commercialize innovation, but they don’t always have the resources to make such ventures successful. Corporations, on the other ...
Genes & Cancer | VCP/p97 as a therapeutic target in KRAS-mutant pancreatic cancer
2023-03-24
“In summary, our goal was to identify additional therapeutic targets for KRAS-driven PDAC.”
BUFFALO, NY- March 24, 2023 – A new research paper was published in Genes & Cancer on March 10, 2023, entitled, “VCP/p97, a pleiotropic protein regulator of the DNA damage response and proteostasis, is a potential therapeutic target in KRAS-mutant pancreatic cancer.”
Researchers have recently shown that proteins involved in the DNA damage response (DDR) are critical for KRAS-mutant pancreatic ductal ...
Finding the sweet spot in sugar reductions
2023-03-24
Putting less sugar in sodas and reducing the package size of sodas sold in supermarkets may help reduce our collective sugar intake and thus lower the associated health risks. Good news for consumers, but how does it affect manufacturers? Research conducted in the US has shown that marketing diet or sugar-free varieties does not lead to an increase in the overall turnover of soda manufacturers. This is because consumers tend to switch from sugary to sugar-free versions of the same brand. However, reducing the package size of soda does have a positive effect on the sales ...
New study about the ‘tsunami’ in Venus’s clouds
2023-03-24
A group of scientists from the University of Seville, in collaboration with experts from the University of the Basque Country, has led the first detailed study of the evolution of the discontinuity of Venus’s clouds, a gigantic atmosphere wave with the appearance of a “tsunami” that is propagated in the planet’s deepest clouds and which, it is believed, may be playing a very significant role in the acceleration of Venus’s fast-moving atmosphere. The observations were carried out non-stop for more than 100 days. “This observational ...
Substance use disorders do not increase the likelihood of COVID-19 deaths
2023-03-24
BOSTON – New research from Boston Medical Center found that substance use disorders do not increase the likelihood of dying from COVID-19. Published in Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, the study showed that the increased risk for severe COVID-19 in people with SUD that has been seen may be the result of co-occurring medical conditions.
Multiple large cohort studies from early in the pandemic have shown higher rates of hospitalization, intubation, and death from COVID-19 in those with SUD, while other studies found no ...
Black Americans, low-income Americans may benefit most from stronger policies on air pollution
2023-03-24
Embargoed for release: Friday, March 24, 2023, 12:00 PM ET
Key points:
The Environmental Protection Agency is currently considering new limits on PM2.5 air pollution. Implementing stronger limits would protect the health of all Americans, and in particular could reduce mortality rates among communities that are most threatened by air pollution—including Black and low-income Americans—by up to 7%.
Structural racism and poverty combine to change PM2.5 susceptibility, but structural racism may be more impactful when determining susceptibility.
Stronger air quality policies may also drive innovative ways to reduce the emission of heat-trapping gasses and could save ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Scientists engineer substrates hostile to bacteria but friendly to cells
New tablet shows promise for the control and elimination of intestinal worms
Project to redesign clinical trials for neurologic conditions for underserved populations funded with $2.9M grant to UTHealth Houston
Depression – discovering faster which treatment will work best for which individual
Breakthrough study reveals unexpected cause of winter ozone pollution
nTIDE January 2025 Jobs Report: Encouraging signs in disability employment: A slow but positive trajectory
Generative AI: Uncovering its environmental and social costs
Lower access to air conditioning may increase need for emergency care for wildfire smoke exposure
Dangerous bacterial biofilms have a natural enemy
Food study launched examining bone health of women 60 years and older
CDC awards $1.25M to engineers retooling mine production and safety
Using AI to uncover hospital patients’ long COVID care needs
$1.9M NIH grant will allow researchers to explore how copper kills bacteria
New fossil discovery sheds light on the early evolution of animal nervous systems
A battle of rafts: How molecular dynamics in CAR T cells explain their cancer-killing behavior
Study shows how plant roots access deeper soils in search of water
Study reveals cost differences between Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare patients in cancer drugs
‘What is that?’ UCalgary scientists explain white patch that appears near northern lights
How many children use Tik Tok against the rules? Most, study finds
Scientists find out why aphasia patients lose the ability to talk about the past and future
Tickling the nerves: Why crime content is popular
Intelligent fight: AI enhances cervical cancer detection
Breakthrough study reveals the secrets behind cordierite’s anomalous thermal expansion
Patient-reported influence of sociopolitical issues on post-Dobbs vasectomy decisions
Radon exposure and gestational diabetes
EMBARGOED UNTIL 1600 GMT, FRIDAY 10 JANUARY 2025: Northumbria space physicist honoured by Royal Astronomical Society
Medicare rules may reduce prescription steering
Red light linked to lowered risk of blood clots
Menarini Group and Insilico Medicine enter a second exclusive global license agreement for an AI discovered preclinical asset targeting high unmet needs in oncology
Climate fee on food could effectively cut greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture while ensuring a social balance
[Press-News.org] U.S. Department of Energy and Stellantis announce the Battery Workforce ChallengeAdvanced battery design competition will help nation transition to electric mobility and clean energy