UMass Dartmouth receives $730,000 to advance offshore wind workforce development efforts and research projects

MassCEC funding will expand paid student internships and support research on cod spawning and offshore wind monitoring

UMass Dartmouth has received nearly $730,000 from the Mass Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) to expand offshore wind workforce development and advance research supporting responsible industry growth.

The funding is part of $4.2 million announced by Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll for offshore wind workforce and research projects across Massachusetts. 

“Offshore wind means good jobs, more clean energy and real economic opportunity for Massachusetts,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We’re investing in the workers who will build this industry and the research needed to develop it responsibly and protect our fisheries, wildlife and marine environment.”

UMass Dartmouth received three awards totaling $730,090: $250,000 to continue its Closing the Experience Gap offshore wind internship program, $280,501 to continue research on potential impacts to cod spawning grounds in Southern New England, and $199,589 to develop a regional data-collection strategy supporting offshore wind monitoring in the Gulf of Maine.

“These two efforts work in tandem: one grows the talent pipeline for offshore wind projects, the other expands the knowledge base the industry needs for the long haul,” said Ben Downing, Mass Clean Energy Center CEO. “Investing in both is how Massachusetts prepares the way for future accelerated offshore wind deployment.”

The $250,000 Offshore Wind Works award will support a two-year continuation of Closing the Experience Gap, led by Professor Daniel MacDonald. The program provides UMass Dartmouth students with competitively paid, 200-hour internships at companies and organizations working in offshore wind and related industries. Over the past four years, the program has created nearly 100 internship opportunities, benefiting more than 40 students and nearly 20 companies and organizations. The new funding will support approximately 30 additional internship opportunities over the next two years. 

“UMass Dartmouth is grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the MassCEC for this important funding, said UMass Dartmouth Provost Ramprasad Balasubramanian. “These grants create meaningful opportunities for our students to gain hands-on experience in a growing industry while contributing to work that matters for the Commonwealth. By connecting education, research, and industry, UMass Dartmouth is helping prepare the next generation of talent, strengthen the local and state economy, and advance Massachusetts’ renewable energy strategy.”

The $280,501 award will continue research into offshore wind’s potential effects on cod spawning grounds in Southern New England. The $199,589 award will support development of a regional data-collection strategy for the Gulf of Maine. The latter project includes collaboration with the Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative and Northeast Regional Ocean Council.

The projects reflect UMass Dartmouth’s broader role in offshore wind research and workforce development. Faculty across the University conduct research ranging from environmental assessment and marine science to engineering and economic impact analysis, while UMass Dartmouth also offers degree and certificate programs aligned with offshore wind workforce needs in engineering, marine science, environmental policy, supply chain management, and related fields.