Notice2024-05228
Manufacturing USA Institute Competition: AI for Resilient Manufacturing
Primary source
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Published
March 13, 2024
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Institute of Standards and Technology
Abstract
The Office of Advanced Manufacturing within the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, intends to announce an open competition for a new Manufacturing USA institute. The expected competition will seek to establish a Manufacturing USA institute focused on the use of Artificial Intelligence to improve resilience of U.S. manufacturing. This NOI is provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations among industry, academia, Federal laboratories and state/local government.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 50 (Wednesday, March 13, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 13, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18373-18375]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05228]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
[Docket Number: 240305-0070]
Manufacturing USA Institute Competition: AI for Resilient
Manufacturing
AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI).
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SUMMARY: The Office of Advanced Manufacturing within the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Department
of Commerce, intends to announce an open competition for a new
Manufacturing USA institute. The expected competition will seek to
establish a Manufacturing USA institute focused on the use of
Artificial Intelligence to improve resilience of U.S. manufacturing.
This NOI is provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to
develop meaningful collaborations among industry, academia, Federal
laboratories and state/local government.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: All inquiries may be directed to Ms.
Cheryl Leonard via email to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e8a589869d8e898b9c9d9a81868fbdbba9a886819b9cc68f879e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="410c202f34272022353433282f26141200012f2832356f262e37">[email protected]</span></a> or by phone at
(301) 975-4350, with a subject line stating: `AI for Manufacturing
Resilience.' NIST will respond to questions received with answers to
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) posted on the NIST competition
website at <a href="https://www.nist.gov/oam/funding-opportunities">https://www.nist.gov/oam/funding-opportunities</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose. This Notice serves to announce the U.S. Department of
Commerce's intention to initiate a competition to establish a new
Manufacturing USA institute to strengthen U.S. industrial capabilities
in advanced manufacturing sectors. The new institute will be sponsored
by the Department of Commerce (DOC), through the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST). For this competition, NIST will
solicit proposals for a Manufacturing USA institute to accelerate the
use of artificial intelligence (AI) for resilient manufacturing.
NIST will broadly compete the new institute, allowing applicants to
focus on the use of AI to improve resilience of manufacturing within
industries and sectors of national interest. The Manufacturing USA
authorizing statute includes in the definition of a
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Manufacturing USA institute that an institute has a predominant focus
on a manufacturing process, novel, material, enabling technology,
supply chain integration methodology or another relevant aspect of
advanced manufacturing such as nanotechnology applications, advanced
ceramics, photonics and optics, composites, biobased and advanced
materials, flexible hybrid technologies, tool development for
microelectronics, food manufacturing, superconductors, advanced battery
technologies, robotics, advanced sensors, quantum information science,
supply chain water optimization, aeronautics and advanced materials,
and graphene and graphene commercialization.\1\
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\1\ 15 U.S.C. 278s(d)(1)(B), as amended. <a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=">https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=</a>(title:15%20section:278s%20edition:prelim).
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The newly awarded AI institute will join a network of 17 existing
Manufacturing USA institutes sponsored by the U.S. Departments of
Defense, Energy, and Commerce.\2\ NIST intends that the new institute
will both contribute to and benefit from the expertise within the
existing network of institutes. As required by the Manufacturing USA
authorizing statute, NIST will ensure that the AI institute to be
established will not substantially duplicate the work of the existing
network of institutes.\3\
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\2\ <a href="http://www.manufacturingusa.com">www.manufacturingusa.com</a>.
\3\ 15 U.S.C. 278s(e)(4)(A), as amended. <a href="https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=">https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=</a>(title:15%20section:278s%20edition:prelim).
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The competition is expected to be announced in early Spring 2024
with a formal announcement on <a href="http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov</a> as well as on the NIST Office
of Advanced Manufacturing website (<a href="http://www.nist.gov/oam">www.nist.gov/oam</a>) and Manufacturing
USA website (<a href="https://www.manufacturingusa.com/">https://www.manufacturingusa.com/</a>).
Note that this NOI for an AI Manufacturing USA institute is
separate from any planned solicitations for the Manufacturing USA
semiconductor institute funded through the CHIPS Act \4\ and is
separate from NIST's U.S. AI Safety Institute (USAISI). Interested
parties should monitor <a href="https://www.nist.gov/chips/chips-rd-funding-opportunities">https://www.nist.gov/chips/chips-rd-funding-opportunities</a> for information regarding CHIPS-funded semiconductor
institutes, and <a href="https://www.nist.gov/artificial-intelligence/artificial-intelligence-safety-institute">https://www.nist.gov/artificial-intelligence/artificial-intelligence-safety-institute</a> for updates on the USAISI.
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\4\ Title XCIX--Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce
Semiconductors for America of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Pub. L.
116-283, often referred to as the CHIPS Act).
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Background
Program Background: The Manufacturing USA Program: Manufacturing
USA exists to secure U.S. global leadership in advanced manufacturing.
The nine federal agencies \5\ participating in Manufacturing USA bring
a whole-of-government approach to innovation, one that springboards
U.S.-based inventions to the forefront of advanced manufacturing
technologies, created and utilized by a skilled American workforce.
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\5\ The federal agencies engaged in Manufacturing USA are the
three sponsoring agencies, U.S. Departments of Commerce, Energy, and
Defense, plus the Departments of Agriculture, Education, Health and
Human Services, and Labor, NASA, and the National Science
Foundation.
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Each Manufacturing USA institute is a public-private partnership
that brings together industry of all sizes, universities and community
colleges, federal agencies, and state organizations to accelerate
innovation by investing in industrially relevant pre-competitive
advanced manufacturing technologies to advance specific technology
sectors and develop the current and future workforce in those
technologies. Manufacturing USA institutes are tasked to mature
advanced manufacturing technologies from laboratory prototypes to
industrial readiness, focusing on major industry challenges that can be
addressed collaboratively but are generally beyond the reach of
individual organizations. Institutes bridge the gap between basic
research and commercial product development, provide shared assets
allowing access to cutting-edge capabilities and equipment, and create
accessible training resources to ensure that students and workers,
including rural and underserved populations, have skills needed for
careers in advanced manufacturing. Each Manufacturing USA institute
also serves as a regional hub of manufacturing innovation, providing
the innovation infrastructure to reinforce the competitiveness of the
U.S. industrial base while strengthening our national and economic
security.
Manufacturing USA institutes may address the full spectrum of
advanced manufacturing challenges, such as innovation for manufacturing
processes, novel materials, cross cutting enabling technology, supply
chain integration methodology and education and workforce development.
Manufacturing USA institutes' federal funding catalyzes co-investment
from non-federal sources for institute projects, promoting stable and
sustainable business models.
Competition Information
Upcoming Manufacturing USA AI Institute Competition: Adoption of AI
in manufacturing has the potential to increase productivity and
efficiency, increase worker safety, allow for predictive maintenance to
reduce or eliminate factory floor downtime, improve quality control and
reduce waste and defects. AI adoption has the potential for efficient
utilization of other digital technologies in optimizing product design
and process flow, and energy management. Furthermore, adoption of AI
technologies will also positively impact manufacturing supply chain
management and resilience and has potential for scalable implementation
of workforce development for all. Through the planned competition, NIST
expects to select an applicant team most capable of establishing and
leading a Manufacturing USA institute to accelerate the use of AI for
strengthening resilience of manufacturing processes for the nation's
manufacturers. The resulting institute is expected to integrate
expertise in AI, manufacturing and optimization of supply chain
networks to strengthen the resilience of domestic manufacturing. The
institute will conduct applied R&D projects and establish employer-led
sectoral partnerships to develop accessible, effective, scalable
training resources and credentialling pathways for the skilled
workforce needed to move innovation into industrial practice. The work
of the institute will also support the growth of an AI service
provision infrastructure that will provide focused AI solutions to
manufacturers by leveraging manufacturing data at national scale.
Through these initiatives, the work of the institute will boost
resilience to the benefit of individual companies and the overall U.S.
manufacturing base. NIST anticipates that applicants for this upcoming
funding opportunity will be permitted to choose an industrial sector of
focus for the proposed institute, or to focus on cross-cutting tools
that may be tailored for more than one industrial sector. Regardless of
the applicant's choice, applicants will be required to define clear
time-bounded deliverables and identify key partners needed to
accomplish the work proposed and provide the non-federal co-investment
that will be required to match the federal award (see Section 3 below).
Applicants must also define the scope of the new institute to avoid
substantive duplication with the existing network of Manufacturing USA
institutes.
It is anticipated that the awardee selected from the upcoming
competition will lead the institute partners in activities such as
establishing a trusted
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manufacturing-centric AI data commons, developing standards for AI risk
assessment tools, creating validated and interoperable AI manufacturing
and/or supply chain network models, and building shared testbeds to
support the integration between software and hardware needed for
deployment by U.S manufacturers. The institute will also be expected to
support market transition of institute-developed technologies,
ultimately supporting technology maturation into scale-up and industry
use and to facilitate AI-related education and workforce development
partnerships and programs.
NIST expects the institute to achieve time-bound outcomes for
technical applications that support manufacturing resilience, such as,
but not limited to:
<bullet> Accelerating qualification of new production technologies,
facilities, or processes;
<bullet> Performing predictive maintenance of structures and
equipment to eliminate down-time due to equipment failure;
<bullet> Optimizing manufacturing processes to reduce resource
inputs and quality failures;
<bullet> Optimizing working capital to predict inventory needs;
and/or;
<bullet> Predicting and mitigating risks from manufacturing supply
chain network disruptions stemming from factors such as extreme climate
events, while increasing visibility of potential domestic suppliers.
NIST intends that applications will be evaluated for merit and for
alignment with program purposes and statutory requirements according to
the authorizing legislation for Manufacturing USA, 15 U.S.C. 278s, and
in 42 U.S.C. 18971, Expanding opportunities through the Manufacturing
USA Program and 42 U.S.C. 18972, Promoting domestic production of
technologies developed under Manufacturing USA Program.
Award Information: The U.S. Government intends to enter into a
five-year agreement with the possibility of a non-competitive extension
for up to an additional two (2) years and provide federal funding of up
to $70 million. This funding is to be matched or exceeded by funding
from private industry and other non-federal sources, with a required
minimum 1:1 cost share. To provide the public with an opportunity to
learn more about the solicitation before submitting a proposal, NIST
will host a webinar and at least one in-person Proposer's Day. The
exact date and location for the webinar and Proposer's Day(s) will be
confirmed upon the release of the solicitation, anticipated to occur in
early Spring 2024. In addition, a preliminary high-level webinar
following the release of this Notice of Intent is planned. NIST also
expects to post and update answers to Frequently Asked Questions in
support of this NOI and the future competition. Interested applicants
should monitor <a href="https://NIST.gov/oam">https://NIST.gov/oam</a> for updates.
Application Process: NIST plans to use a two-stage process for
soliciting applications for this directed-topic Manufacturing USA
institute. Concept Papers will be considered in the first stage of
competition, and applicants submitting the most meritorious concepts
will be invited to submit full proposals in the second stage of the
competition. To limit burden on applicants and the Federal Government,
only a single concept paper may be submitted from a lead applicant
entity. However, entities may be partners on multiple proposals
submitted. NIST anticipates that the due date for submission of concept
papers will be a minimum of 45 days from the publication of the funding
opportunity announcement.
In anticipation of the release of the funding opportunity,
potential applicants are encouraged to complete the following
preparations required for application submission:
<bullet> Ensure that your organization has a Unique Entity
Identifier (UIE) with <a href="http://SAM.gov">SAM.gov</a>. The UIE has replaced the previous Dun
and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. More
information may be found at: <a href="https://sam.gov/content/entity-information">https://sam.gov/content/entity-information</a>.
<bullet> Register with the System for Award Management (SAM) at
<a href="https://www.sam.gov">https://www.sam.gov</a>. Designating an Electronic Business Point of
Contact (EBiz POC) and obtaining a special password called an MPIN are
important steps in SAM registration. Please update your SAM
registration annually.
<bullet> Register for a <a href="http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov</a> (<a href="http://www.grants.gov/">http://www.grants.gov/</a>)
account. It is advisable also to go to ``manage subscriptions'' on
<a href="http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov</a> and sign up to receive automatic updates when Amendments to
a NOFO are posted.
Disclaimer. This NOI does not constitute a solicitation. No
applications may be submitted in response to this NOI. NIST will post a
future announcement to <a href="http://Grants.gov">Grants.gov</a> that will provide the full
requirements for applying for an assistance award. When published,
information within the Notice of Funding Opportunity will supersede in
its entirety any information provided by this Notice. Any inconsistency
between information within this Notice and the expected Notice of
Funding Opportunity announcing NIST's AI for Manufacturing Resilience
award competition shall be resolved in favor of the Notice of Funding
Opportunity.
Authority. Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act,
2015, Public Law 113-235, Title VII--Revitalize America Manufacturing
Innovation Act of 2014, codified at 15 U.S.C. 278s, as amended.
Alicia Chambers,
NIST Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2024-05228 Filed 3-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P
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