Federal Announcements

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration is awarding a $1.5 million grant to Northern Wyoming Community College District in Sheridan, Wyoming, to boost advanced manufacturing and construction trades workforce development in the region.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration is investing $4.3 million in the state of South Dakota for infrastructure to support manufacturing workforce development and business growth.

Intel Corporation has been awarded up to $3 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act for a capability known as the “Secure Enclave.” The funding will support the manufacturing of microelectronics and ensure access to a domestic supply chain of advanced semiconductors for national security. The award will be executed by the Department of Defense (DoD) per an agreement between the Department of Commerce and the DoD.

The U.S. National Science Foundation, in partnership with Ericsson, Intel Corporation, Micron Technology and Samsung, announced $42.4 million in grants for its Future of Semiconductors competition. The investment will fuel research and education across various semiconductor technologies, advancing U.S. leadership in semiconductor research and innovation and addressing challenges, including emerging computing tasks and applications, energy efficiency, performance, manufacturing and supply chains.

The Department of Defense today announced 12 additional awards to bioindustrial firms via the Distributed Bioindustrial Manufacturing Program (DBIMP). This announcement brings the DBIMP to 25 awards to date totaling $42 million.

The Department of Defense announced a three-year, $9.5 million award to create and improve microelectronics-focused education training centers in Indiana with non-profit Regional Opportunity Initiatives, Inc. This award was made by the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program through the Cornerstone Other Transaction Agreement, which are overseen by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience’s Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Program.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration is awarding a $2.5 million grant to the County of Oswego Industrial Development Agency in Oswego, New York, to support the growing manufacturing and semiconductor industries in the region.

The Department of Defense announced a $25.8 million award to Honeywell in Plymouth, Minnesota to produce or acquire trusted strategic radiation-hardened microelectronics. The funds will be used for strategic radiation-hardened microelectronics fabrication via a Defense Microelectronics Activity-accredited manufacturing process and support 90nm technology development in Honeywell's Minnesota microelectronics foundry.

Artificial Intelligence is transforming research, education, manufacturing and everyday life. To prepare the next generation of talent for a diverse, well-trained AI workforce, the U.S. National Science Foundation directorates for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) and STEM Education launched the NSF EducateAI initiative. This program aims to make state-of-the-art, inclusive AI educational experiences available nationwide.

The U.S. National Science Foundation announced a five-year investment of $104 million, with a potential 10-year investment of up to $208 million, in four new NSF Engineering Research Centers to create technology-powered solutions that benefit the nation for decades to come. The new centers will develop technologies to tackle the carbon challenge, expand physical capabilities, make heating and cooling more sustainable and enable the U.S. supply and manufacturing of natural rubber.