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Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers Program (IUCRC)

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NSF 20-570

Important information about NSF’s implementation of the revised 2 CFR

NSF Financial Assistance awards (grants and cooperative agreements) made on or after October 1, 2024, will be subject to the applicable set of award conditions, dated October 1, 2024, available on the NSF website. These terms and conditions are consistent with the revised guidance specified in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance published in the Federal Register on April 22, 2024.

Important information for proposers

All proposals must be submitted in accordance with the requirements specified in this funding opportunity and in the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) that is in effect for the relevant due date to which the proposal is being submitted. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure that the proposal meets these requirements. Submitting a proposal prior to a specified deadline does not negate this requirement.

Synopsis

Program Mission:

The IUCRC program catalyzes breakthrough pre-competitive research by enabling close and sustained engagement between industry innovators, world-class academic teams, and government agencies.  IUCRCs help industry partners and government agencies connect directly and efficiently with university researchers to achieve three primary objectives: 1) Conduct high-impact research to meet shared and critical industrial needs in companies of all  sizes; 2) Enhance U.S. global leadership in driving innovative technology development, and 3)  Identify, mentor and develop a diverse, highly skilled science and engineering workforce.

Program Overview:

The IUCRC program provides a structure for academic researchers to conduct fundamental, pre-competitive research of shared interest to industry and government organizations. These organizations pay membership fees to a consortium so that they can collectively envision and fund research, with at least 90% of Member funds allocated to the direct costs of these shared research projects.

IUCRCs are formed around research areas of strategic interest to U.S. industry. Industry is defined very broadly to include companies (large and small), startups and non-profit organizations. Principal Investigators form a Center around emerging research topics of current research interest, in a pre-competitive space but with clear pathways to applied research and commercial development. Industry partners join at inception, as an existing Center grows or they inspire the creation of a new Center by recruiting university partners to leverage NSF support. Government agencies participate in IUCRCs as Members or by partnering directly with NSF at the strategic level.  

Universities, academic researchers, and students benefit from IUCRC participation through the research funding, the establishment and growth of industry partnerships, and educational and career placement opportunities for students. Industry Members benefit by accessing knowledge, facilities, equipment, and intellectual property in a highly cost-efficient model; leveraging Center research outcomes in their future proprietary projects; interacting in an informal, collaborative way with other private sector and government entities with shared interests; and identifying and recruiting talent.  NSF provides funding to support Center administrative costs and a governance framework to manage membership, operations, and evaluation.

Successful IUCRCs require:

  • A capable research/management team with an entrepreneurial mindset;
  • Universities, faculty, and students interested in engaging in research of interest to industry;
  • A community of industry partners seeking pre-competitive, use-inspired research projects.

Each IUCRC is expected to grow and become independently sustainable by the end of the NSF support. 

Program contacts

Note: For Directorates with topic-specific portfolios (i.e., Geosciences; Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences), IUCRCs will be considered only on topics of interest distributed via Dear Colleague Letters. Please check the NSF website or call the cognizant Program Director for more information.

Prakash G. Balan
IUCRC Lead Program Director, Directorate for Engineering
pbalan@nsf.gov (703) 292-5341 ENG/EEC
Seetha Raghavan
IUCRC Program Director
seraghav@nsf.gov (703) 292-4580 ENG/EEC
Mohan Kumar
IUCRC Program Director, Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering
mokumar@nsf.gov (703) 292-7408 CISE/CNS
Ann C. Von Lehmen
IUCRC Program Director, Directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering
avonlehm@nsf.gov (703) 292-4756 CISE/CNS
Barbara L. Ransom
IUCRC Program Director, Directorate for Geosciences
bransom@nsf.gov (703) 292-7792 GEO/RISE
Rebecca Ferrell
IUCRC Program Director, Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences
rferrell@nsf.gov (703) 292-7850 SBE/BCS
Jeffrey M. Stanton
IUCRC Program Director
jstanton@nsf.gov (703) 292-7794 TIP/TI
Thomas S. Woodson
IUCRC Program Director
tswoodso@nsf.gov (703) 292-5150 SBE/SES
Kenneth Moloy
IUCRC Program Director, Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences
kmoloy@nsf.gov (703) 292-8441 MPS/CHE

Awards made through this program

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