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Notice of Funding Opportunity: CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute
CHIPS for America Announces New Proposed $285 Million Award for CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute for Digital Twins, Headquartered in North Carolina
On November 19, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Semiconductor Research Corporation Manufacturing Consortium Corporation (SRC) are entering negotiations for the Department to provide SRC $285 million to establish and operate a Manufacturing USA institute headquartered in Durham, North Carolina.
With combined funding totaling $1 billion, this investment will support the launch of the first-of-its-kind CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute. The new institute, known as SMART USA (Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Research with Twins USA) will focus on efforts to develop, validate, and use digital twins to improve domestic semiconductor design, manufacturing, advanced packaging, assembly, and test processes.
SMART USA will join an existing network of seventeen institutes designed to increase U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and promote a robust R&D infrastructure. SRC is an important part of North Carolina’s research ecosystem, including decades-long relationships with North Carolina’s universities.
Read the full press to learn more about the new institute.
On May 6, 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) seeking proposals from eligible applicants for activities to establish and operate a CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute focused on digital twins for the semiconductor industry. Digital twins are virtual models that mimic the structure, context, and behavior of a physical counterpart.
The CHIPS for America Program anticipates up to approximately $285 million for a first-of-its kind institute focused on the development, validation, and use of digital twins for semiconductor manufacturing, advanced packaging, assembly, and test processes.
Application Process
There are two main components to this application:
Mandatory Concept Paper: Applicants will be asked to submit a concept paper. Concept papers were due on June 20, 2024.
- Concept papers will only be accepted through Grants.gov.
- Eligible applicants may only submit one Concept Paper for the institute award under this NOFO.
- The deadline for receipt of a concept papers at Grants.gov is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, June 20, 2024.
- Concept papers received after this deadline will not be reviewed or considered.
- Please note that an active SAM.gov registration is required to submit application materials through Grants.gov.
Full Application Process: Full proposals were due on September 9, 2024.
- Full applications will be accepted only from those applicants invited after concept paper evaluation.