Research NewsletterIssue: ORN-2023-21

NSF Regional Innovation Engines Development Awards

The U.S. National Science Foundation announced the first-ever NSF Regional Innovation Engines, or NSF Engines, program awards to 44 unique teams spanning universities, nonprofits, businesses and other organizations across the U.S. states and territories. Each awardee team will receive up to $1 million for two years. The NSF Engines program is anticipated to be transformational for the nation, ensuring the U.S. remains in the vanguard of competitiveness for decades to come.

The awardees span a broad range of states and regions, reaching geographic regions that have not fully benefited from the technology boom of the past decades. These NSF Engines development awards will help organizations create connections and develop their local innovation ecosystem within two years to prepare a strong proposal for becoming a future NSF Engine, where they will have the opportunity to receive up to $160 million.  

Launched by NSF's new Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships and authorized by the "CHIPS and Science Act of 2022," the NSF Engines program uniquely harnesses the nation's science and technology research and development enterprise and regional-level resources. NSF Engines aspire to catalyze robust partnerships to positively impact the economy within a geographic region, address societal challenges, advance national competitiveness and create local, high-wage jobs.

The NSF Engines program has two types of awards. NSF Engines Development Awards, or Type-1 awards, including those just announced, provide up to $1 million for up to two years. Type-2 awards provide up to $160 million for up to 10 years. The first round of Type-2 awards are anticipated in the fall and will fund NSF Engines across three distinct phases — the nascent, emergent and growth phases.

View a map of the NSF Engines Development Awards. More information can be found on the NSF Engines program website.

NSF: NSF Boosting Research Ideas for Transformative and Equitable Advances in Engineering (BRITE); Expanding TRIPODS through Partnerships (XTRIPODS); NSF Convergence Accelerator Phases 1 and 2 for the 2023 Cohort - Tracks K, L, M; Community Infrastructure for Research in Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CIRC); EPSCoR Research Incubators for STEM Excellence Research Infrastructure Improvement Program (E-RISE RII); BioFoundries to Enable Access to Infrastructure and Resources for Advancing Modern Biology and Biotechnology (BioFoundries)

NIH: Assessment of TBI-related ADRD Pathology Related to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Outcomes (U01); Collaborative Opportunities for Multidisciplinary, Bold, and Innovative Neuroscience (COMBINE) (RM1); BRAIN Initiative: Development and Validation of Novel Tools to Probe Cell-Specific and Circuit-Specific Processes in the Brain (R01); NINDS Postdoctoral Mentored Career Development Award (K01)

Department of Defense/US Army/DARPA/ONR: High Operational Temperature Sensors (HOTS); DoD Vision Translational Research Award; Air Force FY24 Young Investigator Program (YIP)

IBM to Partner with US and Japanese Universities on Quantum Supercomputer R&D:  IBM is slated to launch a new, decade-spanning partnership with both a Japanese and U.S. university to develop a “quantum-centric supercomputer,” as the emerging technology stands to change the broader computing and cybersecurity landscapes. Detailed in a draft press release obtained by Nextgov, the partnership is set to be announced on May 21 during the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan and will include both the University of Tokyo and the University of Chicago. IBM Chair and CEO Arvind Krishna is expected to appear at the G7 Summit and sign research contracts alongside university presidents, with government leaders—including President Joe Biden—present.  “Over the past several years, IBM has been at the forefront of introducing quantum technology to the world,” said Krishna in the press release. “We have achieved significant progress along our roadmap and mission to globally establish useful quantum technology, so much so that we can now, with our partners, truly begin to explore and develop a new class of supercomputing anchored by quantum.”

Over the course of the program’s 10 years, $100 million will be invested in creating a supercomputer operating on applied quantum physics. This machine is intended to be able to process 100,000 qubits—the unit of information processed by a quantum computer—which theoretically translates to being able to solve more problems through processing larger quantities of data. 

In the U.S., Biden has repeatedly issued multiple federal directives to bolster the nation’s quantum information technology research posture, including releasing guidance for post-quantum cryptography and promoting education in the field. The forthcoming partnership with Japanese academic institutions mirrors the Biden administration’s broader push to deepen international partnerships in QIST research ––something experts predict will continue as the nations race to develop a viable quantum computer. 

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Senate Bill Looks to Train AI-Ready Workforce, Focus on Risk Mitigation: New legislation is responding to the federal workforce’s knowledge gap concerning advancing artificial intelligence systems, with a team of bipartisan senators aiming to create a new training program specifically for leaders at government agencies. Introduced by Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Mike Braun, R-Ind., the Artificial Intelligence Leadership Training Act, first announced on May 11, establishes a subagency within the Office of Personnel Management that focuses on training covered and eligible employees in artificial intelligence systems that may be incorporated into federal operations. 

The ultimate goal of the bill is to improve the federal workforce’s skills and acumen regarding AI applications, a technology that stands to continue to rapidly evolve and seep into daily functions. 

“As the federal government continues to invest in and use artificial intelligence tools, decision-makers in the federal government must have the appropriate training to ensure this technology is used responsibly and ethically,” said Peters in a press release. “With AI training, federal agency leaders will have the expertise needed to ensure this technology benefits the American people and to mitigate potential harms, such as bias or discrimination.” Some of the mandated subjects for the education program stipulated in the bill include defining AI, basic functionality, risk and benefit analyses, how data informs AI algorithms, risk mitigation techniques and a broader infrastructure to govern AI system deployment. It would also require updates to the curriculum from the OPM director. More information is posted on the NextGov website.

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Energy Department Invests $26 Million to Support Clean Electric Grid: The Biden Administration Wednesday announced $26 million in funding to demonstrate how solar, wind, storage and other clean energy resources can support a modern, resilient and clean energy grid. Through the Energy Department, the funding will be distributed to eight selected projects across 15 sites, including 13 states and Puerto Rico, and build on numerous Energy Department-led efforts to combat climate change and promote clean energy. The funding will flow through the Solar and Wind Grid Services and Reliability program to research teams consisting of “utilities, laboratories, universities and industry” to test how wind and solar power plants can more reliably transmit clean energy across power networks. According to the Energy Department, wind and solar energy could provide up to 80% of power generation on a clean electric grid. More information is posted on the NextGov website.

Question:       How can I add another investigator or my research ambassador to my proposal in order to help on budget preparation and edit proposal details?

Answer:         Select the “Permissions” link from the left hand side of the main proposal screen in any proposal development document. From the Permissions screen you will be able to search for the person you wish to add and grant them a specific level of permission (aggregator, budget creator, viewer). After you select the appropriate person, click “Add” and they will be added to your proposal.

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