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Engineering Research Infrastructure

The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Engineering (ENG) supports a wide array of research facilities and infrastructure throughout the U.S. 

ENG-supported research infrastructure enables groundbreaking discoveries, technologies, and solutions that address societal challenges. These shared-use experimental facilities, foundries and tools are accessible to researchers and students across the nation, serving as training grounds for the next generation of scientists and engineers.

This page highlights research infrastructure of interest to the engineering community for use in their research and education activities, as well as related funding opportunities and resources.

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Mcity 2.0

This augmented reality testbed advances connected and automated vehicle technologies by providing researchers with remote access to the resources and infrastructure of the Mcity test facility. 

The remote capabilities of Mcity 2.0 are now operational, and they can be used with the Mcity physical test facility and research vehicles.

Mid-Scale Research Infrastructure solicitations

This NSF-wide program supports the design and implementation of mid-scale research infrastructure that addresses engineering research needs — including experimental facilities, networks, equipment, cyberinfrastructure, datasets and personnel — and whose total costs range between $4 million and $100 million. 

This program is divided into two tracks: 

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Now accepting conference proposals:

ENG invites proposals for conferences that identify gaps in existing research infrastructure and define the mid-scale research infrastructure needed to address grand challenges for engineering research.

Learn more about this funding opportunity.


National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI)

This network of 16 university-based facilities advances nanoscale science, engineering and technology. The sites provide researchers from academia, industry and government access to more than 2000 leading-edge tools, training and expertise.

The network coordinates its activities through the NNCI Coordinating Office located at Georgia Tech. 


Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI)

These university-based facilities allow researchers to investigate the effects of earthquakes, wind and coastal hazards and test groundbreaking concepts to protect individuals, communities and critical infrastructure. 

They provide access to experimental laboratories, field equipment, cyberinfrastructure, computational modeling and simulation tools, datasets and a network of engineering, social science and interdisciplinary researchers.


Additional resources