Why should I join an NSF Engines application team?
The NSF Engines program encourages regional teams of innovators and ecosystem builders, including those from institutions of higher education, industry, startups, venture funds, entrepreneurial support organizations, and state, local and tribal governments working in partnership with others, to submit proposals aimed at building innovation ecosystems across the U.S.
What are some examples of engagement pathways for industry?
- Apply as a lead applicant or core partner.
- Build on NSF’s funding to co-invest in fundamental and translational research, startup
- company creation, innovation ecosystem infrastructure building and workforce development programs.
- License technologies and co-invest in startups emerging from NSF Engines.
- Loan executives to serve in NSF Engines leadership roles or as entrepreneurs-in-residence and mentors.
- Partner on talent initiatives; recruit and co-design workforce development programs that fit industry needs.
Take action
- Convene relevant sectors and organizational types within your region.
- Sign up for upcoming events.
- Consider leading or joining your region’s application.
What are some examples of engagement pathways for startups, venture funds and entrepreneurial support organizations?
- Apply as a lead organization (recipient of the NSF funds and responsible for the award’s
- management) or a core partner (a member of the stakeholder coalition often contributing or receiving significant resources).
- Bring the best entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem builders to the table during the
- application process, ensuring company builders and startup founders have a voice in topic areas and goals.
- Partner on research and development, develop startup support infrastructure and talent initiatives, drive regional need conversations.
- Invest in companies developing breakthrough technologies emerging from NSF Engines.
Take action
- Convene relevant sectors and organizational types within your region.
- Sign up for upcoming events.
- Consider leading or joining your region’s application.
What are some examples of engagement pathways for state and local government entities?
- Lead an NSF Engines application.
- Convene relevant sectors and organizations within your region to drive equitable and inclusive discussion about regional priorities and economic growth strategies.
- Co-invest in economic and workforce development projects. In round 1, NSF saw hundreds of millions of dollars in state and local financial co-commitments across the portfolio.
- Integrate capital from federal, state, local, and philanthropic sources with NSF’s funding opportunities.
- Partner on talent initiatives and integrate and co-design workforce development programs.
- Champion local innovators who are building future regional innovation industries.
Take action
- Convene relevant sectors and organizational types within your region.
- Sign up for our upcoming events.
- Consider leading or joining your region’s application.
On this page
What are some other ways I can get involved?
If you are interested in working with the U.S. National Science Foundation's Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines), complete the NSF Engines Engagement Interest Form. This form provides interested parties with the opportunity to express interest in partnering with NSF Engines and NSF Engines Development Awardees in a variety of ways, including:
- Full-time and part-time roles within NSF Engines, ranging from CEO to entrepreneur in residence to intern.
- Co-funding NSF Engines and/or projects that are emerging from their innovation ecosystems.
- Opportunities to mentor specific Engines in areas where you have unique expertise.
If you are interested in learning more about more opportunities to connect with the Builder Platform to support initiatives and teams spanning the entire portfolio, please email BuilderPlatform@engine.xyz.
For press inquiries, please email medrel@nsf.gov.
To learn more about the NSF Engines program and future funding opportunities and follow along as the portfolio of awardees begin their entrepreneurial journey, sign up for NSF's newsletter.
Share your interest in working with an NSF Engine
The NSF Engines team has created an interest form to help members of the innovation community connect with and support the NSF Engines development awardees and NSF Engines awardees. NSF recognizes that building robust innovation ecosystems across the country requires identifying and working with new sources of talent and building diverse collaborations. The goal of this interest form is to create an entry point for individuals, organizations and funders who are interested in supporting our portfolio of NSF Engine awardees and/or working within an NSF Engine to share their information.
Join the team
We are searching for leaders with expertise in industry, government, civil society and strategic partnerships. Open NSF Engines positions can be found on NSF's Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships' Careers page.
Become a reviewer
If you would like to serve as a review panel member for the NSF Engines program, please complete the reviewer interest survey.
Co-fund an NSF Engine
Email our staff about your interest in providing funding for an NSF Engine. Most emails are answered within a few business days.
Connect with workforce development activities
Using a cohort model and emphasizing the importance of mentorship, the NSF Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) program offers workforce development opportunities to help individuals gain valuable work experience in emerging technology areas. ExLENT will connect interested companies, governments and nonprofits with current and potential learners. With awards of up to $1 million over three years, the program will promote partnerships between organizations in emerging technology fields and those with expertise in workforce development.
NSF's Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) program is encouraging minority-serving institutions, two-year institutions, primarily undergraduate institutions and other emerging research institutions to participate in regional innovation ecosystems and potentially partner with a future NSF Regional Innovation Engine. The program will invest up to $400,000 per award over three years to develop the capacity and institutional knowledge needed to build new partnerships and secure future external funding, enabling awardees to tap into their regional innovation ecosystems.
Tell us about a potential connection
Email the NSF Engines program to let us know about a potential connection for the NSF Engines program. Most emails are answered within a few business days.
Tell us how we are doing
Email the NSF Engines program to provide feedback or ask questions about the program. Most emails are answered within a few business days.