NSF selects 12 new regional innovation engines spanning 20 states
Each of the 12 NSF Engines teams receives $15 million over two years and could draw up to $160 million over a decade if it meets performance milestones.
The U.S. National Science Foundation announced on July 14 the selection of 12 new NSF Regional Innovation Engines, with teams operating across 20 states, according to the agency.
Each team receives $15 million over two years and may qualify for up to $160 million over the next 10 years if it meets performance milestones, NSF said. The engines are led by regional coalitions of universities, nonprofits and private companies, and work areas among the new cohort include strengthening the security of the energy grid, maximizing yields from critical mineral extraction, and quantum computing.
NSF said it designed the engines as a connected national network intended to build domestic supply chains and close capability gaps between regions, with additional funding available to teams that hit their targets.
The agency said returns are emerging from the first nine engines selected two years ago, which have advanced advanced semiconductor manufacturing, next-generation AI, agriculture and food production, disaster preparedness and energy storage technologies. Those initial engines received a further $135 million in follow-on investment earlier this summer, and the engines program has drawn more than $2 billion in matching commitments from private companies, philanthropies and state and local governments. Remarks from NSF acting director Brian Stone were included in the announcement.