NIST Announces Up to $70M Funding Opportunity for New AI-Driven Manufacturing USA Institute

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), part of the US Department of Commerce (DOC), has announced a funding opportunity worth up to $70 million over five years, for an awardee who can set up and run the newest Manufacturing USA institute, currently called the “AI for Resilient Manufacturing” (“AI MFG”) institute. Sponsored by agencies of the US federal government, including the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Energy (DOE), in addition to the DOC, the network of nearly 20 institutes in the Manufacturing USA network are designed to accelerate R&D across the US advanced manufacturing landscape.

The first deadline in the two-stage application process is September 30, 2024, by which date applicants will have to submit their concept proposals to the NIST. Interested applicants can find out more details about the requirements here.

Most importantly, though, applicants should focus on creating a mission wholly unique from all other existing Manufacturing USA institutes, as well as “the planned [DOC]-sponsored Digital Twins Institute for Semiconductor Manufacuturing.” In addition, applicants need to show that their plans “address a compelling US industrial need” that domestic industry partners are interested in and committed to addressing.

In an NIST press release about the funding announcement for the AI MFG institute, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said, “AI has enormous potential to make us smarter, faster and more innovative, but we have to work together to maximize its benefits and mitigate its risks. Through this new AI-focused Manufacturing USA institute, we will help leverage AI to supercharge manufacturing, empower our workforce and create secure, resilient supply chains.”

NIST Director Laurie E. Locascio said, “This new Manufacturing USA institute will strengthen the US economy by helping manufacturers make smart use of AI to boost their productivity and increase their resilience in the face of supply chain disruptions and other unexpected events. We look forward to reviewing innovative proposals that will help domestic manufacturers maximize the potential of AI.”

As I wrote about in a recent post on Lucidworks’ second annual Generative AI Global Benchmark Study, manufacturers are seeing above-average benefits thus far from their increased generative AI spending, but are also more cautious than other industries about ramping up that spending further. A dedicated research institute for developing AI-related use cases could be pivotal in alleviating that skepticism.

While this of course isn’t a topic relevant solely to additive manufacturing (AM), the AM industry and the  in-development institute could certainly find plenty of opportunity for symbiosis. Moreover, it could be a perfect chance for stakeholders in AM industry to cultivate the growing ecosystem of US consortia focused on reshoring and revitalizing the US industrial base.

Personally, I’d love to see Siemens get in on this, in alignment with their recently-announced push to bolster the US AM industry, which includes the formation of an AM Advisory Board. Rightly or wrongly, the AM industry seems to be suffering of late from a perceived lack of both momentum and direction. I think giant organizing projects with clear objectives, headed up by major corporate backers, are precisely what the industry needs to reverse that pessimistic trend.