The University of Michigan will lead a coalition of 15 universities and colleges aiming to generate naval engineering talent to support the U.S. military, officials announced this afternoon.

U-M won a $3.2 million federal contract to direct the Naval Engineering Education Center, although the university said the agreement could be worth up to $49.9 million based on optional extensions built into the contract.

U-M College of Engineering Dean David Munson said in a statement that the program, funded through the Naval Sea Systems Command, is “among the largest in the history of the college.” The College of Engineering maintains an annual research budget of about $160 million.

The university said it would collaborate with 15 other educational institutions, the American Society of Naval Engineers and the Society of Naval Architects and Engineering to “educate and develop world-class naval systems engineers for the Navy's civilian engineering, acquisition, and science workforce.”

The U.S. Navy wants to generate more civil engineering talent to support its activities.

U.S. Navy photo | Jason R. Zalasky (Via U-M)

The program’s establishment comes as the Navy is boosting its effort to attract engineering talent in a competitive labor market where young workers regularly choose the private sector over military work.

The center will provide real-life naval engineering opportunities for engineering students, who will get the chance to explore alternative energy technologies, unmanned vehicle usage, ship design and maintenance problems. The program’s initiatives include an effort to get more K-12 students interested in areas like science and math.

"This is a huge step to help address Navy research and engineering development needs and challenges,” said Brian Persons, Naval Sea Systems Command executive director, in a statement.

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