Ways to Stay Connected
Contact
Email the NSF Engines Program Team with questions about the program. Most emails are answered within one business day.
Sign up for the NSF Engines email list
Subscribe to the NSF Engines email list to receive information program updates, announcements, funding opportunities, webinars and more.
Upcoming Webinars
- NSF Engines Builder Platform Virtual Community Building Event
January 12, 2023, 3:30-5 pm ET
Register for the Builder Platform Webinar on Zoom.
Proposal submission guidance for organizations new to NSF
This proposal submission guidance is for organizations that are new to NSF. It provides a walkthrough of the registration requirements that MUST be completed to submit a proposal to NSF. This guidance also includes a Lead organization journey and a sub-awardee organization journey for submitting an NSF Engines proposal via Research.gov.
Region of service map resources
The Region of Service Map is a required document for Type-2 NSF Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) proposals. NSF is requesting this information to gain a more detailed and precise description of each applicant’s region of service and a more detailed view of the geographic distribution of the NSF Engines applicant pool. To facilitate a uniform process and comparable maps, the NSF Engines team has compiled a set of resources and a map builder tool to help you build out this Region of Service document for your proposal.
- Use the step-by-step how-to-guide.
- Watch the video tutorial.
- Create and Submit your Region of Service mapping tool using the Excel spreadsheet.
As a supplemental document, each proposing team must provide a Region of Service Map that defines their region of service by state(s) and counties covered in a list format. Counties should be identified by both name and five-digit FIPS code. By following the step-by-step instructions on how to use the map builder tool, the Excel template will be automatically populated with the requested data. The Excel file must be converted to a PDF and submitted in the supplemental document section of your proposal within research.gov.
Learn about NSF Engines
Overview of the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program
In the video below, the NSF Engines program team discuss the NSF Engines program model, including program goals, phases of Engine development, proposal and award requirements, and award types.
Presentation slides
The slide deck used in the overview video below can be downloaded here: TIP and NSF Engines overview slides (PDF, 1.33 MB).
NSF Engines videos
Learn more about NSF Engines by watching recordings of our outreach events, including the roadshows series, program overview, and Q&A sessions. Learn more.
National Bureau of Economic Research Workshop
The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) hosted a workshop at NSF in October 2022. The one-day workshop focused on place-based policies and innovation. You can view a summary of the workshop for more information.
NSF Engines Proposers’ Day
The NSF Engines Proposers’ Day was a virtual workshop held on August 1, 2022, for regional teams that submitted concept outlines and advanced to the next step as outlined in the program's funding opportunity. More than 2,700 team members attended the event, which was designed to help regional teams spanning all 50 states and four U.S. territories develop compelling proposals.
General Session
Welcome to Proposers’ Day
Dmitri Perkins, Lead Program Director, Regional Innovation Engines Program, NSF
Erwin Gianchandani, Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, NSF
Analysis of Concept Outlines
Daniel Goetzel, Entrepreneurial Lead, Regional Innovation Engines Program, NSF
Dmitri Perkins, Lead Program Director, Regional Innovation Engines Program, NSF
Demo of Visualization Platform
Grace Yuan, Staff Associate for Data and Analytics, Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, NSF
Accelerating a Life Sciences Innovation Ecosystem: A Case Study in Public-Private Partnership
Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, President and CEO of Biomedical Growth Strategies; Former President and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC)—a state-funded investment organization charged with administering a $1 billion Life Sciences investment fund
Understanding How the Proposals Will Be Reviewed: The Review Criteria
Michal Ziv-El, Program Director, Regional Innovation Engines Program, Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC), Cyber-Physical Systems, Smart and Connected Communities, NSF
Understanding How the Proposals Will Be Reviewed: The Process
Rebecca Shearman, Program Director, Regional Innovation Engines Program, NSF
Michal Ziv-El, Program Director, Regional Innovation Engines, Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC), Cyber-Physical Systems, and Smart and Connected Communities Programs, NSF
Developing Impactful DEIA Plans
Rebecca Shearman, Program Director, Regional Innovation Engines Program, NSF
Monya Ruffin, Program Director, Directorate for Education and Human Resources, NSF
Breakout Sessions
Governance Models and Leadership Structure
Daniel Goetzel, Entrepreneurial Lead, Regional Innovation Engines Program, NSF
Randy Duran, Program Director, Engineering Research Centers Program, NSF
Budgeting and Use of NSF Funds
Geoffrey Brown, Program Director, Regional Innovation Engines Program, NSF
Francesmary Modugno, Program Director, Directorate for Education and Human Resources, NSF
Type-1 and Type-2 Review Criteria
Michal Ziv-El, Program Director, Regional Innovation Engines Program, Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC), Cyber-Physical Systems, and Smart and Connected Communities Programs, NSF
Rebecca Shearman, Program Director, Regional Innovation Engines Program, NSF
No slides were used for this breakout session.
NSF Engines roadshow
The NSF Engines roadshow was a series of five regionally focused virtual events held during the spring of 2022 that served as jumping-off points for NSF Engine application discussion development. Each roadshow included an overview of the NSF Engines program, a panel discussion with leading innovation and technology ecosystem builders from across the country, and interactive breakout rooms for regional collaboration. Over 1500 people attended these events that covered all 50 states and U.S. territories.
Stop 1 (CO, KS, MO, ND, NE, NM, OK, SD, TX, WY):
May 19, 2022
Expert Ecosystem Builder Panelists:
- Shaina Horowitz, Vice President of Product & Program at New Lab
- Illah Nourbaksh, K&L Gates Professor of Ethics and Computational Technologies; Executive Director, Center for Shared Prosperity, The Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
- Sean Brazier, CEO of EDai, formerly at Virginia Economic Development Partnership
Stop 2 (CT, DE, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT):
May 25, 2022
Expert Ecosystem Builder Panelists:
- Kristina Montague, The JumpFund
- James Feagan, Projects+PEOPLE
- Ray Leach, JumpStart
Stop 3 (AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, other U.S. territories):
June 7, 2022
Expert Ecosystem Builder Panelists:
- Orin Herskowitz, Columbia University
- Henry McKoy, North Carolina Central University
- Sue Windham-Bannister, Biomedical Growth Strategies LLC, formerly at Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
Stop 4 (AR, IA, IL, IN, KY, MI, MN, OH, TN, WI):
June 9, 2022
Expert Ecosystem Builder Panelists:
- Nakia Melecio, Georgia Tech Venture Lab
- Kian Kamas, Executive Director at Partner Tulsa
- Gabriela Cruz Thompson, Intel Labs
Stop 5 (AL, DC, FL, GA, LA, MD, MS, NC, PR, SC, VA, VI, WV):
June 15, 2022
Expert Ecosystem Builder Panelists:
- Scott Andes, Commerce EDA Build Back Better Regional Challenge
- Betsy Ziegler, 1871
- Danya Hakeem, Elemental Excelerator
NOTE: The states and territories selected for each roadshow are not NSF-defined regions. Watch the Introduction to the NSF Regional Innovation Engines Program webinar, and read the FAQ to learn more about how regions are defined within the NSF Engines program.