NSF Future Manufacturing (FM) Program Request for Proposals

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) Future Manufacturing (FM) program has put out a new solicitation for proposals for research projects aimed at educating the future workforce to overcome scientific, technological, educational, economic, and social barriers in order to enable new manufacturing capabilities. Three key areas have been identified for support under this solicitation: Future Cyber Manufacturing Research, Future Eco Manufacturing Research, and Future Biomanufacturing Research.
 
The solicitation aligns with the Strategy for American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing released by the National Science and Technology Council in 2018 under the Trump Administration. “The Strategy for American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing states that worldwide competition in manufacturing has been dominated in recent decades by the maturation, commoditization, and widespread application of computation in production equipment and logistics, effectively leveling the global technological playing field and placing a premium on low wages and incremental technical improvements.”
 
Proposals will focus on research advancing technologies vital to promoting advanced manufacturing in the U.S., including artificial intelligence, cyber infrastructure, dynamics and control methodologies, synthetic biology and bioprocessing, and more. The solicitation will make awards in two tracks:

• Future Manufacturing Research Grants (FMRG) – Awards of up to $3,000,000 for up to four years; and
• Future Manufacturing Seed Grants (FMSG) – Awards of up to $500,000 for up to two years. 

Letters of intent are not required. Full proposals are due May 14, 2021. For more information, please see the full Program Solicitation.