Programs
There are a number of programs and initiatives aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the United States manufacturing sector. These programs support, supplement, and integrate with the needs of manufacturers to provide the tools needed to succeed.
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Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC)
The Industry–University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC) program accelerates the impact of basic research through close relationships between industry innovators, world-class academic teams, and government leaders. The IUCRC program provides a structure for academic researchers to conduct fundamental, pre-competitive research of shared interest to industry and government organizations. These organizations pay membership fees to a consortium so that they can collectively envision and fund research, with at least 90% of member funds allocated to the direct costs of these shared research projects.
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Materials Genome Initiative
Agencies:Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Department of the Interior (DOI), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF)The Materials Genome Initiative is a federal multi-agency initiative for discovering, manufacturing, and deploying advanced materials twice as fast and at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional methods. The initiative creates policy, resources, and infrastructure to support U.S. institutions in the adoption of methods for accelerating materials development.
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National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI)
Agencies:Department of Commerce (DOC), Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Energy (DOE), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation (NSF)The National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) is an interagency initiative made up of public-private partnerships devoted to manufacturing excellence. Under the NNMI, each institute will bring together innovative manufacturers, university engineering schools, community colleges, federal agencies, non-profits, and regional and state organizations to invest in unique, but industrially relevant, manufacturing technologies with broad applications. Federal NNMI partners include the U.S. Departments of Energy, Defense, and Commerce, as well as NASA and the National Science Foundation.