An exciting new CHIPS opportunity has just been published. The CHIPS for America Commercial Fabrication Facilities aims to catalyze long-term economically sustainable growth in the domestic semiconductor industry in support of US economic and national security.
In addition to specifics regarding economic and national security objectives, workforce development, budget, and climate and environmental responsibility, there is also a mandatory reporting requirement.
Certain systematic data collection and other rigorous evaluative activities will be performed to assess the outcomes related to funds for all awards given under this NOFO.
The Department intends to collect a range of data from recipients, which include, but are not limited to, information on: domestic production capacity; workforce pipeline expansion, particularly among underserved communities; environmental impacts, and implementation and effectiveness of environmental mitigation; and increased economic opportunity in communities.
The goal of this data collection and reporting is to understand the effects of individually funded projects and will enable the Department to assess the extent to which the strategic objectives have been achieved. This means that continuous data collection and end-of-project reporting are equally important to the proposal itself.
What can applicants do to get a competitive edge in their application regarding required data collection? Hiring an independent external evaluator. The best way to ensure complete and accurate data capture and assessment is to outsource evaluation to a professional. Not only will this ensure efficiency and accuracy in the data aggregation and reporting process, but it will also show reviewers the applicant understands the importance of data, reporting, and evaluation.
Writing an evaluator into your CHIPS for America Commercial Fabrication Facilities can set you apart from other applicants by showing you have experts on your team to help measure the performance indicators and overall impact of your project activities. Your evaluator will assist with data collection throughout, attend regular evaluation project meetings, help organize your data meaningfully and effectively and even help with final outcome reporting.
The evaluator you select should
- Be an experienced evaluator or evaluation firm (FYI – we are);
- Be committed to creating regional-scale, technology-driven innovation ecosystems throughout every region of the United States, accelerating emerging technologies, driving economic growth, addressing key societal challenges, and maintaining national competitiveness (FYI – we do) ;
- Have a working knowledge of all guidelines, protocols, processes, and evaluation requirements (FYI – we totally do).
Got questions on how to find an External Evaluator? We have you covered. Check out this post from August 2020. https://www.ebhoward.com/choosing-the-right-external-evaluator/
Want to know a little bit more about our Evaluation Services? We have you covered. See more here. https://www.ebhoward.com/evaluation-4/
Want to talk with us about how we serve as your External Evaluator for the CHIPS grant proposal? Schedule a consult call today. https://calendly.com/ebhoward/15min
We work with high-growth startups and organizations that support the startup and innovation ecosystem. We build highly specific non-dilutive funding menus, provide proposal preparation services, and measure outcomes of funding through evaluation. Schedule a consult call with us HERE.