NIST — CHIPS Research and Development Office Broad Agency Announcement

2025-NIST-CHIPS-CRDO-01

Deadline: Rolling through Sept. 30, 2029 | Funding: Project budgets should be at least $10M | Project Period: 5 years

Purpose: Supports research, prototyping, and commercial solutions that advance U.S. microelectronics technology, strengthen the domestic semiconductor ecosystem, accelerate commercialization, and further national and economic security. Priority areas include semiconductors, AI for advanced microelectronics, quantum technology, biotechnology and biomanufacturing, commercialization of innovation, and standards development.

Why This May Be a Good Fit for MSU

This opportunity may align well with MSU strengths in advanced materials, semiconductor-related research, AI-enabled systems, robotics and automation, quantum-related technologies, manufacturing, commercialization, workforce development, and standards-related research. The BAA also explicitly emphasizes domestic manufacturing capacity, supply-chain security, and translation of research into commercial impact.

Application Process

1. White Paper — Required and may be submitted at any time through Grants.gov.
2. CRDO Review — White Papers are screened for eligibility, completeness, responsiveness, scientific and technical merit, and potential contribution to national and economic security.
3. Invitation to Proceed — Applicants may be invited either to submit an R&D Project Path Pre-negotiation Package or, at CRDO’s discretion, an Investment Fund Application.

Key Requirements / Decision Factors

• Strong contribution to U.S. national and economic security
• Demonstrated scientific and technical merit
• Credible project execution and partner capability
• Clear pathway to commercial viability and domestic production
• Applicants may be subject to negotiated government return-on-investment provisions, including equity, warrants, IP licenses, royalties, or revenue sharing

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NSF — Organizational Change in the Professional Formation of Engineers (ENGINEER:OC)

PD 26-1342

Deadline: Accepted Anytime | Funding: Per NSF/PAPPG | Project Period: Per NSF/PAPPG

Purpose: ENGINEER:OC supports research and activities designed to drive organizational change and transform the professional formation of engineers at scale. The program seeks to expand access to high-quality engineering education and workforce-development pathways through changes in the organizations and settings where engineers and engineering technologists are educated and prepared.

Why This May Be a Good Fit for MSU

This program may be a strong fit for interdisciplinary MSU teams interested in engineering education, workforce development, organizational change, curricular innovation, and translating successful educational approaches into new settings. Projects can involve higher education as well as other academic, informal, center-based, workplace-based, engineering, or engineering-technology environments.

Project Types

Innovation Projects — Develop and apply new cultural or curricular innovations in a particular setting, including first practical implementations of established theory.

Adaptation/Implementation Projects — Build on previous work by adapting existing models for new contexts.

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NSF — IUSE/PFE: Revolutionizing Engineering Departments (RED)

NSF 24-564

Deadline: Sept. 15, 2026* | Funding: Up to $2.5M | Project Period: Up to 5 years

Purpose: Supports systemic transformation of undergraduate engineering education at the departmental level through cultural, organizational, structural, and pedagogical change. Projects are intended to strengthen the professional formation of engineers while creating sustainable institutional change. Areas of national interest include AI, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, microelectronics, net-zero technologies, sustainability, systems engineering, and quantum engineering.

Why This May Be a Good Fit for MSU

This opportunity may align well with MSU teams interested in transforming undergraduate engineering education, particularly projects connecting engineering education with emerging technology and workforce needs. Competitive teams should bring together engineering expertise with knowledge of engineering education research and organizational change.

Choose the Appropriate Track

Track 1 — RED Planning

Build institutional capacity and prepare for a future RED implementation proposal. Up to $75,000/year for up to 2 years.

Track 2 — RED Adaptation & Implementation

Adapt an existing evidence-based organizational-change strategy to a local engineering department. Up to $1 million for up to 5 years.

Track 3 — RED Innovation

Develop new and potentially transformative approaches to engineering education and departmental change. $1–$2 million for up to 5 years.

Track 4 — RED Innovation Partnerships

Multi-institution collaborations implementing transformative innovations, with particular emphasis on partnerships involving two-year institutions. $1.5–$2.5 million for up to 5 years.

Key Requirements / Decision Factors

• Projects should address department-level transformation, not simply an individual course or educational intervention.
• Tracks 2–4 require attention to faculty development, organizational culture, sustainability, and institutionalization.
• Track 1 requires a two-page Concept Outline emailed to an NSF program officer at least 30 days before submission.
• NSF merit review considers Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts, with additional attention for Tracks 2–4 to faculty development and the potential for success, sustainability, and scaling.

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NSF — Pathways to Enable Secure Open-Source Ecosystems (PESOSE)

NSF 26-506

Deadline: Sept. 1, 2026 and March 2, 2027 | Funding: Up to $1.5M | Project Period: 1–2 years

Purpose: PESOSE supports the transition of open-source science and engineering research products into safe, secure, and sustainable open-source ecosystems that address national and societal challenges. Eligible products may include software, hardware, machine-learning models, data platforms, languages, and specifications, with potential applications across AI, cybersecurity, healthcare, manufacturing, education, national security, and other domains.

Why This May Be a Good Fit for MSU

This opportunity may align particularly well with MSU researchers who have already developed promising open-source tools, platforms, models, or data resources and are ready to expand their adoption and long-term impact. MSU strengths in applied research, cybersecurity and resilience, AI/ML, multi-institutional collaboration, and translating research into operational systems may provide strong foundations for PESOSE projects.

Eligibility: The solicitation also places specific appointment requirements on PIs, co-PIs, and other senior/key personnel, including qualifying academic, research/teaching, or Open-Source Program Office leadership positions at a U.S.-based IHE.

Choose the Appropriate Track

Track 1 — Scoping & Planning

Plan for the establishment of a new open-source ecosystem, including ecosystem discovery, governance, continuous development and community building. This track supports planning rather than product development.

Up to $300,000 | 1 year

Track 2 — Establishing or Expanding an Ecosystem

Build a sustainable ecosystem around a promising open-source product, with emphasis on governance, continuous development, risk management, security and community engagement.

Up to $1.5 million | 2 years

Track 3 — Safety, Security & Privacy

Strengthen the security, privacy and resilience of an existing open-source ecosystem by identifying vulnerabilities, mitigating risks and supporting sustainable governance.

Up to $1.5 million | 2 years

What NSF Is Really Looking For:
The open-source ecosystem—not simply the technology—is the core outcome.

PESOSE is not primarily a technology-development program. Competitive projects should address the people, governance, infrastructure, security and community necessary to make an open-source research product durable and impactful at scale. Projects should also demonstrate relevance to a national or societal challenge rather than focusing solely on disciplinary advancement.

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NSF — Translation to Practice (TTP) Supplemental Funding

NSF 25-540

Deadline: TTP-Explore Accepted Anytime | Funding: Up to $600K | Project Period: Up to 24 months

Purpose: NSF Translation to Practice supplemental funding helps researchers move promising discoveries toward real-world application. The primary mechanism, TTP-Explore (TTP-E), supports high-risk, use-inspired research and early translational activities that were not included in an existing NSF research award.

Why This May Be a Good Fit for MSU

TTP-E may be particularly valuable for MSU investigators with active NSF-funded research that has produced a promising technology, method, tool, or other innovation ready for initial translation beyond the original research scope. It provides a pathway to explore real-world applications without waiting to develop an entirely new NSF proposal.

How TTP-Explore Works

1. Develop a 3–5 Page Preliminary Description

Describe the use-inspired research and translational activities, the societal, market, or technological gap being addressed, team and partner roles, work plan, milestones, and why supplemental funding is needed.

2. Contact Your NSF Program Officer

Send the preliminary description to the cognizant NSF Program Officer and obtain written approval before submitting a supplemental funding request.

3. Submit the Supplement

If invited, submit through Research.gov and include the 3–5 page description and the Program Officer's approval email as supplementary documents.

Additional TTP Support

I-Corps Training Supplement — $50,000

Supports the seven-week experiential entrepreneurial training required for certain TTP-Translate and TTP-Partner awardees who have not completed qualifying I-Corps training for the technology within the previous two years.

Intellectual Property Support — Up to $50,000

TTP projects may include funding for intellectual-property protection, including eligible Technology Transfer Office or third-party patenting expenses.

A Good Candidate for TTP-E? Consider TTP-E if you can answer yes to these questions:

• Do I have an eligible active NSF research award?
• Has the research produced something with potential beyond the laboratory?
• Is the proposed translational work outside the scope of my original award?
• Can I articulate the real-world problem or opportunity this innovation could address?

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