Florida International University has received a grant from the James L. Knight Foundation in order to enhance the school's resources for students seeking to join the tech industry.
The $10 million gift will go to FIU's School of Computing and Information Sciences, a press release said, with the goal of developing "technical talent at scale to meet the demands of industry and Miamians seeking to advance their skills."
The Knight Foundation also granted $4.3 million to the University of Miami for the school to "grow its Institute of Data Science and Computing," while Baptist Health received $1 million to launch a healthcare innovation fellowship.
A press release from the non-profit said that the strategy behind the gift is to "invest in organizations that support high-impact entrepreneurs, attract venture investors, and ensure that Miami's tech ecosystem is as diverse as the city itself."
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FIU's press release noted that the university has committed to investing an additional $106 million into its computing and information program over the next decade, including the construction of a new multi-disciplinary engineering building on the schools' main campus that is set to break ground this year.
A portion of the Knight Foundation's $10 million will fund 20,000 square feet of "interactive research and teaching space with best in-class computing and prototyping equipment" in the new building.
“FIU is Miami. Together with the Knight Foundation and our local and state elected officials, we are seizing this opportunity,” said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg in the press release.
“This partnership will help us leverage all that already exists at FIU, add important intellectual capital, work with industry and give our city and our state a key hub of talent and innovation," he added.
Knight's grant will also help fund the redesign of engineering career advising programs, support community demand for research and high-caliber faculty members and enhance the undergraduate curriculum.
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A Knight Foundation representative is expected to be appointed to the school's new leadership board, which the press release said was "actively recruiting industry leaders committed to strengthening South Florida's tech sector."
