The National Science Foundation (NSF) has unveiled its latest funding opportunity, the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program, under solicitation NSF 24-565. This initiative aims to catalyze regional innovation ecosystems across the United States by supporting the development of NSF Engines—large-scale, collaborative efforts designed to drive economic growth, address societal challenges, and enhance national competitiveness.
Program Overview
The NSF Engines program seeks to accelerate the development of sustainable, inclusive, and geographically diverse regional innovation ecosystems. Each NSF Engine is expected to focus on a strong research and development (R&D) and technology topic area, forming a coalition of regional partners—including academic institutions, industry, government entities, nonprofits, and community organizations—to support R&D innovations, knowledge-sharing, resource expansion, workforce development, and capital inflow.
Funding and Duration
NSF Engines can receive funding for up to ten years, with an initial award for the first two years and subsequent awards for years 3-5 and 6-10, based on performance reviews and evaluations. The budget distribution among the lead and core partners should be appropriate for the scope of work and activities planned for each of the key drivers of ecosystem change.
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible lead organizations include institutions of higher education, non-profit non-academic organizations, for-profit organizations, Tribal Nations, and state and local governments. An organization is only permitted to submit one Letter of Intent (LOI), one preliminary proposal, and one full proposal as the lead organization.
Proposal Submission Process
The proposal process consists of several stages:
- Letter of Intent (LOI): Required and due by June 18, 2024. The LOI should include a one-page synopsis of the proposed NSF Engine.
- Preliminary Proposal: Required and due by August 6, 2024. The preliminary proposal should include a 10-page project description.
- Full Proposal: By invitation only, with submissions due by April 15, 2025. The full proposal should include a 30-page project description
After the submission of full proposals, NSF will conduct reverse site visits and site visits as part of the merit review process.
Key Programmatic Changes
Some notable changes in this solicitation include (more noted in solication):
- Eligibility Expansion: Tribal Nations, state, and local governments are now eligible to apply as lead organizations.Lead organizations must be based in the U.S. and committed to regional economic development.
- Submission Limits: Organizations are limited to submitting ONE Letter of Intent (LOI), ONE preliminary proposal, and ONE full proposal as the lead entity. Letters of Intent (LOI) are now required before submitting a preliminary proposal.Preliminary proposals are mandatory before submitting a full proposal, ensuring feedback from NSF early in the process.
- Letters of Intent and Preliminary Proposals: LOIs are now required in advance of the submission of a preliminary proposal. Preliminary proposals are required prior to the submission of a full NSF Engines proposal to ease the proposer and reviewer burden and provide constructive feedback earlier in the process.
- Focus on Inclusive Engagement: There is a strengthened focus on engagement of all individuals within a region, regardless of background, socioeconomic status, or location. Teams are asked to describe plans to reach untapped populations and bring benefits to underserved communities.
For more detailed information on the program, eligibility criteria, and submission guidelines, interested parties are encouraged to review the full solicitation on the NSF website. https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/nsf-engines-nsf-regional-innovation-engines/nsf24-565/solicitation
The NSF Regional Innovation Engines program represents a significant investment in fostering innovation across diverse regions, aiming to build strong communities where all residents can thrive and contribute to the nation’s technological and economic advancement.
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