The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a new Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) encouraging Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to submit proposals for new Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST Center) addressing the social, political, cultural or cognitive dimensions of “advancing emerging technologies.”
CREST projects are five-year research awards that increase research capacity and infrastructure at MSIs.
The $30 million program called APTO—Assessing and Predicting Technology Outcomes—funds research to evaluate the effectiveness of R&D investments in technology and create models and information for decision-makers to optimize investments and advance long-term U.S. competitiveness.
Specific technology areas of interest are those outlined in the “CHIPS and Science Act” of 2022: energy; materials; artificial intelligence; high-performance computing or semiconductors; quantum information technology; bioengineering; robotics; technology for disaster prevention; communications technology; and data storage.
APTO awards of up to five years will support:
The Directorate for Stem Education of the National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced new award opportunities for FY 2023 and FY 2024 in two programs, Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) and Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT).T
According to the June 13, 2023, “Dear Colleague Letter” (DCL Document number nsf23118), these efforts are intended to build on or leverage strong industry-academic partnerships to strengthen the semiconductor manufacturing workforce by advancing and supporting the development of a skilled STEM workforce in advanced memory manufacturing and/or semiconductor manufacturing and design. The goal is to meet the critical need to expand domestic “semiconductor research and development, design, and manufacturing” and fill the talent shortage in the domestic semiconductor industry through inclusive and equitable STEM education opportunities.
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) announced 34 semifinalists for the first-ever NSF Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) competition, spanning nearly all key technology areas and societal and economic challenges highlighted in the CHIPS and Science Act. The list of NSF Engine semifinalists, map of the NSF Engines semifinalists, and additional details are on the NSF website. NSF released the list of NSF Engines program semifinalists to transparently encourage teaming among diverse organizations, innovation, and regional growth. (more…)
The Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBU) Excellence in Research Program (HBCU-EiR) provides opportunities to stimulate sustainable improvement in research and development capacity. HBCU-EiR grants seek to create stronger connections between HBCU researchers and the National Science Foundation (NSF) by funding research projects aligned with NSF’s research programs.
The program was established in response to direction provided in the Senate Commerce and Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Report (Senate Report 115-139) and is built on prior and continuing efforts by the NSF to strengthen research capacity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This report provided guidance to NSF to establish the HBCU Excellence in Research program “to provide opportunities for both public and private HBCUs, particularly for those who have not been successful in larger NSF Research & Related Activities competitions, in order to stimulate sustainable improvement in their research and development capacity” (https://congress.gov/congressional-report/115th-congress/senate-report/139/1).
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Shelley Minteer
The University of Utah’s Center for Synthetic Organic Electrochemistry (CSOE) is proud to announce that they received a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund the CSOE’s Phase II development to improve the sustainability of synthetic chemistry. CSOE’s mission is to promote a safer alternative to traditional organic synthesis methods.
“If you think about industry, whether industry is making a pharmaceutical or a plastic, they’re doing a synthesis in an organic solvent and typically at high temperatures and sometimes at high pressures with possibly explosive materials. This is because most of the synthesis require oxidation or reduction reactions that typically is done chemically and not electrochemically. Those chemicals can cause safety issues when it comes to making pharmaceuticals and other value-added products,” says Shelley Minteer, professor of chemistry and CSOE director. (more…)
ECS announces a special opportunity for attendeesInterested in innovation programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF)? The NSF Directorate for Engineering’s Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP) supports programs to accelerate NSF-funded and federally-funded fundamental research into market opportunities, and fosters public-private partnerships to advance technological innovation. IIP invests in high-tech small businesses and collaborations between academia and industry to transform discoveries into innovative commercial technologies with societal benefits.
Meet one-on-one with Jesus Soriano, NSF program director, Industrial Innovation and Partnerships Division, October 15-16 at the 236th ECS Meeting in Atlanta. Reserve your 15-minute meeting here:
Learn more about the IIP programs:
