NIST Announces New Competition for Advanced Manufacturing Planning Awards‏

July 30, 2014

As a leading voice in advanced manufacturing, we believe your organization or constituents may have interest in the newly announced federal funding opportunity described below.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced a new competition for the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia (AMTech) Program. This new competition seeks applications (proposals) to establish new or strengthen existing industry-driven consortia for planning research that addresses high-priority challenges impeding the growth of advanced manufacturing in the United States. Teaming and partnerships driven by industry that include broad participation by companies of all sizes, universities and government agencies are encouraged.

NIST anticipates granting a total $5.6 million in two-year Planning Awards during the young program’s second competition. The Planning Awards will range between about $250,000 and $500,000, subject to the availability of funds. AMTech Planning Awards support industry-driven consortia in developing research plans and charting collaborative actions to solve high-priority technology challenges and accelerate the growth of advanced manufacturing in the United States. Full details of the solicitation, including eligibility requirements, selection criteria, legal requirements and the mechanism for submitting proposals are found in an announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) posted at Grants.gov under funding opportunity number 2014-NIST-AMTECH-01.

Pre-applications are required for this AMTech competition, and are due by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, Sept. 5, 2014. Full Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, Oct. 31, 2014. Pre-Applications and Full Applications will only be accepted through the Grants.gov website.

NIST will host two complementary webinars on this AMTech competition on Thursday, August 7, 2014, and Thursday, August 14, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time. The webinars will offer guidance on this AMTech funding opportunity (August 7th) and on preparing and submitting applications (August 14th). Webinar participants will be able to ask questions. Participation is not required to submit an application. Participants are required to register for each in advance. Information on and registration for the event is available at www.nist.gov/amo/funding.cfm.

To assist in identifying potential collaborators for a consortium, an AMTech LinkedIn group exists where individuals can provide their area(s) of interest and communicate with each other. Visit www.nist.gov/amo for more information about joining.

In May 2014, the program conferred 19 advanced manufacturing technology planning awards totaling $9 million to new or existing industry-driven consortia. Of the 19 consortia that received awards, 11 are new efforts that are being launched with AMTech funding. Collaborations spanned a wide variety of industries and technologies, from flexible-electronics manufacturing to biomanufacturing, and from pulp-and-paper manufacturing to forming and joining technologies.

For more information about AMTech and this funding opportunity, visit the AMTech competition website, www.nist.gov/amo/funding.cfm, or send an email toamtech@nist.gov. To remove your name from future AMTech mailings, please send a message toamtech@nist.gov and add “UNSUBSCRIBE” to the subject.

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