Lackawanna College will use a nearly $1 million grant to partner with a Hazleton-based biotechnology company to conduct hemp research and equip students with the necessary skills to pursue a career in the industry.

The Scranton-based college has satellite locations in Covington Twp., Hawley, Sunbury, Towanda, Tunkhannock and Hazleton — where the research and instruction will take place.

Lackawanna received the $963,000 grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to support collaboration between the college and the nonprofit Vytal Plant Science Research (VPSR).

VPSR will lead research efforts by developing and refining industrial hemp strains geared toward applications in bio-based products like green building materials, renewable energy, packaging, fabrics and land remediation through conducting genetic research and exploring gene editing techniques to create at least three new hemp seed varieties, college officials said.

Lackawanna College will offer a 15-week Hemp Industry Certificate Program designed to provide participants with the skills necessary to work with hemp, including knowledge in horticulture, agriculture, the impact of global climate change, and advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, officials said.

“Advancing STEM education programs at two-year colleges is vital for creating pathways and opportunities that enable more talented individuals from diverse regions across the country to enter STEM fields,” Shobha Rudrabhatla, Ph.D., chief scientific officer at Vytal Plant Science Research, said in a news release.

Brian Costanzo, vice president of government affairs and special projects for Lackawanna College, noted Vytal recently submitted the creation of their curriculum — which will be taught by Lackawanna faculty — with an anticipated mid-spring timeframe for the start of instruction.

Lackawanna also will develop a new sustainable agriculture facility at its Hazleton Center that will host workshops and hands-on training sessions for students (K-16), teachers, and farmers interested in learning about hemp cultivation, gene editing, tissue culture, and cloning with the goal of providing a comprehensive, hands-on educational experience that prepares participants for the future of the hemp industry, college officials said.

“Construction is almost complete,” Costanzo said. “We had to redesign a science lab to accommodate the programs (Vytal) is going to be running. Electrical and mechanical updates are being made and I think the equipment will be ordered really soon. March 15 was our target date for that first cohort of students and I think we’re on track, barring any other construction delays.”

While the program will be based in Hazleton from the outset, Costanzo teased the possibility of eventually expanding it to different campuses.

“We do have a desire, pending the outcome of it, to maybe broaden it to other locations,” he said. “First and foremost, we want to be able to provide a trained workforce for these industries. With this being a newer type of manufacturing industry, there are not many people out there who have the experience.”

Costanzo also believes the relationship between Vytal and Lackawanna could have a significant impact on the possible resurgence of hemp production in the region.

“From the history of it, it sounds like hemp used to be a pretty viable industry in Pennsylvania and went away, for whatever reason, many years ago,” he said. “I think there is some real potential for it. I know there are challenges being able to grow it, pick it and cultivate it the proper ways because it’s an expensive and daunting task, but I think part of these dollars are being utilized for colleges and companies to identify new and maybe less expensive ways to utilize it long term.”