Project Title:
UVI Technology Innovations: Expanding Network Capacity And Resilience To Foster Creativity, Enhance Cyber Security, and Improve Access To Resources For Learning
Funding Program:
Connecting Minority Communities Program
Project Purpose/Type:
The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI)'s "UVI Technology Innovations: Expanding Network Capacity And Resilience To Foster Creativity, Enhance Cybersecurity, and Improve Access To Resources For Learning" project aims to achieve broadband and IT infrastructure improvements and implement unique innovations in teaching strategies and resources to engage students effectively.
City/Town/Service Area:
State(s):
-
$2,990,594.00Funding Amount$2,990,594.00Total Project Cost0.00Non-Federal Cost Share
The UVI Technology Innovations project activities include: (1) replacement of underground fiber optic cable for faster data transmission speeds and more robust bandwidth; (2) replacement of routers to address faulty electronics that are points of failure; (3) commissioning architectural drawings of residential facilities for optimizing placement of WiFi access points; and (4) creation of a pilot community cloud to ensure that students and faculty using the specialized lab environment remain connected for teaching and learning during the intermittent power grid and service provider disruptions common to the USVI Territory.
As a result of implementing the project activities, UVI expects to achieve improvements in faculty and student interactions as they deploy new applications for learning and design new teaching strategies. The project will improve capacity for student access to innovative learning resources and quality academic and business services by upgrading the speed, reliability and overall performance of the wired and wireless network infrastructure and portal application, and by establishing processes for testing, training and mitigation against cybersecurity threats. The project will also foster innovation and creativity by engaging learners with emerging instructional infrastructure and by preparing students for the workforce and for post-graduate education.
Students and faculty at UVI as well as the surrounding anchor community in the Virgin Islands will benefit from this project. Students and faculty will acquire skills that will increase their awareness of networking options in the new UVI portal, so that students may be directed to the most critical information for guiding academic development. The entire UVI community will have an increased awareness for protecting technology resources against cybersecurity threats, through new tools installed to monitor the network, and new training and testing processes that will become part of the network security routine.
The recipient does not intend to subaward funds.
The applicant does not fund a consortia. The applicant’s activities do not occur in the surrounding anchor communities.