The National Science Foundation supports basic research into new, potentially transformative, manufacturing capabilities, in accordance with the Strategy for American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing.  This solicitation encourages fundamental research and education of a future workforce that will enable Future Manufacturing: manufacturing that either does not exist today or exists only at such small scales that it is not viable. 

For Fiscal Year 2020, the NSF seeks proposals from multidisciplinary groups of researchers to address challenges in three thrust areas:  Cyber Manufacturing, Eco Manufacturing, and Biomanufacturing. The NSF anticipates $40M funding this year for three types of awards:

• Research Grant: 5 years, $500k-$2M/yr. Fundamental, multidisciplinary, and integrative research & education
• Seed Grant: 2 years, $250k/yr. Teambuilding, concept development, and research initiation, leading to future proposals
• Future Manufacturing Networks: 5 years, $500k total. Form communities of researchers, educators and stakeholders

Letters of intent are due April 10, and full proposals are due June 5, 2020.

Interested researchers can find a description of the opportunity and a link to the details on the solicitation's web page, and the full details, requirements, and review criteria can be found in the solicitation itself.

Raymond A. Adomaitis

Program Director: Process Systems, Reaction Engineering, and Molecular Thermodynamics

Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems

Directorate for Engineeering, NSF

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