The National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) was established in 2022 to assist in the translation of technologies from the bench to the marketplace. NSF has traditionally focused on supporting research discovery in academic institutions. Outside of the SBIR program, there were previously few opportunities to support development of technologies for commercialization. TIP arose from the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 which sought to develop domestic manufacturing capabilities in the U.S. for vital technology that supports numerous industries. The U.S.’s domestic deficiencies in computer chip manufacturing became evident when supply chain issues during the pandemic limited the availability of items such as new cars. The TIP program seeks to promote development of domestic manufacturing and technology to advance U.S. competitiveness.
The three focus areas of the TIP program are to foster innovation ecosystems, accelerate technology translation, and develop and grow the domestic STEM workforce. The recent 2024 TIP Roadmap outlines the strategic areas the NSF intends to fund. In the coming three-year window, TIP will provide targeted investments in four primary key technology areas:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, autonomy, and related advances
- Biotechnology, medical technology, genomics, and synthetic biology
- Advanced communications technology and immersive technology
- Data storage, data management, distributed ledger technologies, and cybersecurity, including biometrics
Other key technology focus areas include:
- High performance computing, semiconductors, and advanced computer hardware and software
- Quantum information science and technology
- Robotics, automation, and advanced manufacturing
- Natural and anthropogenic disaster prevention or mitigation
- Advanced energy and industrial efficiency technologies
- Advanced materials science
Strategic TIP investments will also address the five societal, national, and geostrategic challenges set out by the CHIPS Act including strengthening national security, improving manufacturing and industrial productivity, addressing workforce development and skills gaps, addressing climate change and promoting environmental sustainability, and addressing inequitable access to education, opportunity, and other services.
You can read the NSF TIP’s Investment Roadmap here.