On National Manufacturing Day, we celebrate all that is made in America and recognize the importance of our Nation’s manufacturers to every aspect of our lives.  From the electronics we rely on, to the safely packaged foods we eat, to the clothing we wear, to the appliances and furniture in our homes, to the cars we drive — American manufacturing is essential to our economy.

Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced a new competition for awards to support industry-driven consortia in developing technology roadmaps that will address high-priority research challenges to grow the advanced manufacturing sector in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced an investment of up to $14.5 million for research and development to cut waste and reduce the energy used to recycle single-use plastics like plastic bags, wraps, and films.

Manufacturing is the fourth largest industrial sector in the United States, currently employing about 15.6 million Americans, representing aabout 11% of the gross domestic product. The White House has declared manufacturing to be a national priority. Manufacturing workers experience a higher percentage of nonfatal injuries and illnesses per capita than the US workforce as a whole.

Continued U.S. leadership in advanced manufacturing requires new technologies, processes, and skills, especially in the emerging fields of biomanufacturing, cyber-manufacturing and eco-manufacturing. To address that need, the U.S. National Science Foundation is announcing investments in 24 new projects to drive future manufacturing.