Federal Announcements

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration is awarding a $1.3 million grant to West Virginia University at Parkersburg to boost advanced manufacturing workforce training efforts in the region.

The U.S. National Science Foundation has awarded $35 million through the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Research Incubators for STEM Excellence Research Infrastructure Improvement to boost research competitiveness, build partnerships across academic institutions and non-academic sectors and create workforce development opportunities.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration is awarding a $1.6 million grant to the Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Worthington, Minnesota. This grant will help address the growing demand for skilled workers in robotics, fluid power/advanced hydraulics, welding and CNC machining training in southwest Minnesota.

The U.S. Department of Commerce announced a market expansion of SelectTalentUSA, a joint initiative across the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Labor, and Education providing technical assistance to foreign businesses to deliver recruitment and training programs for their U.S. workforce.

The U.S. Department of Energy released new Supply Chain Cybersecurity Principles, developed in collaboration with Idaho National Laboratory. The principles establish best practices for cybersecurity throughout the supply chain that supports energy infrastructure.

June 1, 2024 marks the one-year anniversary of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Supply Chain Optimization and Intelligence Network (SCOIN), a two-year pilot program to kick-start supply chain efforts across the country. Authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, NIST MEP awarded a total of $20 million for SCOIN to MEP Centers in each state and Puerto Rico.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology has awarded more than $1.2 million to 12 small businesses in eight states under the Small Business Innovation Research Program. The awards will fund research and development of new products relating to cybersecurity, quantum computing, health care, semiconductor manufacturing and other critical areas.

The U.S. Department of Energy finalized its guidance interpreting the statutory definition of “foreign entity of concern” (FEOC) in Section 40207 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The FEOC interpretive guidance is designed to limit the participation of FEOCs in domestic battery supply chains and bolster the growth of domestic and friend-shored battery materials processing and manufacturing.

The U.S. National Science Foundation launched a $9.5 million research funding opportunity in partnership with BASF, Dow, IBM, PepsiCo Inc. and Procter & Gamble Co. Sustainable Polymers Enabled by Emerging Data Analytics is part of NSF's Molecular Foundations for Sustainability program and seeks to accelerate the discovery and manufacture of superior and sustainable polymers to enhance national competitiveness and tackle global challenges such as plastic waste.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration is awarding a $2.1 million grant to the Coahoma County Board of Supervisors in Clarksdale, Mississippi, for roadway and water infrastructure improvements to support manufacturing and job growth. This grant will support the local boat manufacturing sector, creating jobs and opportunities in the region.