NIST Launches New Manufacturing USA Technology Roadmap Grant Competition

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking proposals to support its Manufacturing USA Technology Roadmaps (MfgTech) program, which aids industry-driven consortia in developing technology roadmaps that will address high-priority manufacturing research challenges. The Manufacturing USA network intends to make 8 awards of up to $300,000 each with no cost-share requirement. Applicants are encouraged to partner with organizations across the industry to create a team with expertise in facilities, supply chains, and specialized goods and services.
 
Mike Molnar, former ASME Board of Governor and current director of NIST’s Office of Advanced Manufacturing, shares why this investment is key to growing the advanced manufacturing sector in the U.S., stating that “The Manufacturing USA institutes have demonstrated that consortia can play a key role in developing and transitioning new manufacturing technologies critical to America’s future competitiveness. These roadmaps can help ensure that we have a clear vision of what challenges are before us to ensure U.S. manufacturing is competitive.”
 
The news release announcing the new grant program shares the benefits of technology roadmaps, which includes:

• Addressing major technological barriers that inhibit the growth of advanced manufacturing in the U.S. that no single organization could tackle on its own;
• Identifying and prioritizing research projects supporting long-term industrial research needs including but not limited to those identified in the Strategy for American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing; 
• Creating new or updating broadly available industry-driven, shared-vision technology roadmaps to support strategic and long-range planning; and
• Catalyzing development and supporting the maintenance of a technology infrastructure and American excellence in advanced manufacturing, including identifying technology areas appropriate for potential new Manufacturing USA institutes. 

NIST plans to host a webinar on June 25 at 2 p.m. EST to share more information on the program and preparing proposals.
 
Proposals are due by August 16, 2021.