Announcements

Governor Owens Unveils New Round of Technology Grants

Industry/Education Venture Grants $1.7 Million to Promote Biotechnology, Telecommunications, Digsital Media and Enterprise Services Industries.

May 13, 2002 -- DENVER-- Gov. Bill Owens today announced $1.7 million in Colorado Institute of Technology (CIT) academic grants supporting new initiatives to align workforce requirements with higher education programs "These grants are but the latest demonstration of the effective cutting edge partnership between private sector technology leaders at CIT and the higher education community," the Governor said. "CIT is in the forefront of growing the well-trained, high-tech workforce Colorado employers need and deserve. It's putting Colorado at the head of the class in attracting high-quality, family-sustaining jobs."

The Governor said CIT sets an example that other states should look to in expanding the technology sector. Launched in early 2000 with the support of major technology leaders within Colorado such as Qwest Communications International , Sun Microsystems, Level 3 Communications, and Hitatchi Data Systems, CIT is attracting new sponsors, such as EDS. The Institute works directly with education institutions statewide.

The new grants bring the total of CIT funded programs to $3.6 million for higher education and $1.7 million to K-12 programs throughout the state - $5.3 million total in grants reaching thousands of Colorado students, teachers, and unemployed workers re-tooling their skills.

The CIT awarded grants to nine university and college programs, all of which are designed to address specific technology workforce needs. These programs will become the foundation for the CIT's new initiatives. Each initiative is funded by CIT's sponsoring corporations and will include: Global Communications, Enterprise Services, Digital Media and Biotechnology.

"Our economy is moving in a direction that requires specific skillsets and specialized knowledge in key technology areas," said John Hansen, president and CEO of the CIT. "The CIT initiatives are tailored to meet those specific industry needs by partnering with Colorado's higher education institutions and businesses to develop programs that produce a qualified, quality workforce."

The following programs will support both the Global Communications and Enterprise Services Initiatives:

• Colorado State University - Interdisciplinary Studies Program in Information Science and Technology
  
• Fort Lewis College - Technology Certification Program
  
• Regis University with Morgan Community College - Online Bachelor of Science in CIS program

The Global Communications Initiative will be supported by the following CIT-funded programs:

• University of Colorado at Boulder - Telecommunications Systems Laboratory
  
• University of Colorado at Denver - Foundations of Engineering Science and Technology

The Enterprise Services Initiative will be supported by the following programs:

• University of Colorado at Denver - Information Systems and Computer Science undergraduate program

The Digital Media Initiative will be supported by the following program:

• University of Colorado at Denver - Colorado Center for Digital Animation

The Biotechnology Initiative will be supported by the following program:

• University of Colorado at Denver, in association with the University of Colorado Health Sciences and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs - Computational Biotechnology program

CIT, a nonprofit organization that was created through an initiative of Gov. Owens, uses the unique approach of bringing industry and academic leaders together to identify training needs and to design programs that meet those needs. "We believe the CIT will become a national model for similar programs," said Owens.

About the Colorado Institute of Technology
The Colorado Institute of Technology (CIT) began as an initiative of Colorado Gov. Bill Owens to promote, advance and sustain Colorado as a premier location for the technology industry. In partnership with higher education and technology companies, the CIT works to create educational programs that result in qualified graduates in line with indusstry needs.

The CIT is financed entirely by private contributions from companies in Colorado. For more information on CIT, visit the Web site at www.coloradoit.org.