UNR targeted for $21 million technological innovation grant

The Biden-Harris administration, through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, announced the Nevada Lithium Batteries and Other EV Material Loop consortium led by the University of Nevada, Reno in the Carson City-Reno region was designated as one of the 31 inaugural Tech Hubs in regions across the country that show potential for rapid growth in key technology sectors.

EDA has selected projects for funding in the Nevada Tech Hub for an estimated award of $21 million, to be finalized in the coming months.

This investment is projected to support business creation, employment, technological innovation, and career pathways in rural Nevada, specifically in rural communities included in USDAs Rural Partners Network, which includes Nye, Esmeralda and Mineral counties.

The five community networks are:

• Southern Nevada: Nye and Esmeralda counties

• Sierra Region: Lyon and Mineral counties

• Moapa Valley: Clark County, North and Central Communities

• Southern Clark County: Clark County, Southeastern Communities

• Nevada 95-80 Regional Development: Humboldt and Pershing counties

The Nevada Tech Hub seeks to position the Silver State as a strong node in the critical lithium supply chain and an ideal location for the nation’s future sustainable electrification storage industry.  

This month, EDA recommended this Tech Hub receive grant funding to implement projects, including:

• Working with community colleges, state agencies, industry, and labor unions to bolster the region’s reservoir of skilled workers

• Providing educational opportunities and wraparound support for students at the secondary and post-secondary levels

• Promoting awareness of STEM-related occupations across Nevada’s lithium economy, increasing retention of Native students in STEM-related fields, and creating guided pathways to family-sustaining jobs in the growing hub workforce

• Supporting the administrative capacity and readiness of Nevada’s Native American and indigenous communities to promote their ability to productively engage with industry

• Creating and maintaining effective and equitable management and decision-making processes, advising on workforce development strategies, and facilitating connections to relevant experts and organizations

To ensure that the impacts of the Tech Hub benefit the entire region, the consortium is committed to developing equitable workforce training and recruitment strategies, including working with the University of Nevada, Reno’s Office of Indigenous Relations on a Nevada Native Nations Center initiative to support the participation of Native and indigenous peoples in key decisions.

For information, visit www.usda.gov/nv.