U.S. National Science Foundation and Department of Commerce announce a new $30M funding opportunity, funded by the CHIPS & Science Act, to prepare talent for semiconductor jobs nationwide

The Network Coordination Hub for the National Network for Microelectronics Education will establish and operate regional nodes to offer consistent, rigorous, engaging curricula, instructional materials, experiential opportunities, teacher professional development and more

Today, the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Commerce (DOC) announced a $30 million funding opportunity, as part of the bipartisan CHIPS & Science Act that was signed into law by the Biden-Harris Administration, to establish the Network Coordination Hub that will manage the National Network for Microelectronics Education (NNME) and lead its national strategy to train skilled workers for good-paying jobs needed in the U.S. semiconductor and microelectronics industry over the next decade. The Hub will be managed by NSF in close coordination with the DOC. 

Proposers interested in operating the Network Coordination Hub must apply by Oct. 28, 2024, at 4 p.m. EDT. To apply and learn more, please read the solicitation here. Additionally, NSF will be hosting an informational webinar on Oct. 4, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. EDT to discuss the funding opportunity. NSF and DOC encourage interested parties to submit questions to NNME@nsf.gov. 

“Training all Americans, at all levels, across all industries, and across all states is critical to U.S. competitiveness,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “The National Network for Microelectronics Education will open the door for more opportunities, more training, and more connection with industry to ensure that Americans have the training for the skilled jobs of today and tomorrow, and that the semiconductor and microelectronics industry has the skilled American workers to hire into jobs resulting from the impacts of the bipartisan ‘CHIPS and Science Act of 2022.'”

“An empowered and skilled workforce is fundamental to fulfilling the vision of the CHIPS for America Program,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, this is a collaborative, inclusive, and whole-of-government effort. Thanks to our partnership with NSF, the National Network will now work hand-in-hand with industry and the NSTC Workforce Center of Excellence to boost our education system – from K-12 to Higher Education – and ensure workers have the skills they need to build careers in the semiconductor industry.”

NSF and DOC will select an institution of higher education, nonprofit organization, or group of such institutions and organizations to establish and operate the Network Coordination Hub. The Hub will be responsible for coordinating a coalition of regional consortia, each with its own programs and centers, to offer consistent, rigorous, engaging curricula, instructional materials, experiential opportunities, teacher professional development and more throughout the U.S. NSF will lead the solicitation process and, upon its establishment, serve as the primary federal manager of the Network Coordination Hub, working with the Hub to establish regional nodes and other activities that will form the network. As specified in the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, the NNME is envisioned as an up to $200 million investment in the next generation of talent, spanning the full range of jobs and levels, necessary for the long-term success of the U.S. semiconductor and microelectronics industry. 

Earlier this year, the CHIPS for America Research and Development Office within the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a bureau of DOC, and NSF signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly invest in the NNME to train the future semiconductor workforce across skill levels and geographies. In July, NSF and DOC issued an RFI to gather best practices and ideas about creating an education and workforce development ecosystem for training American workers for semiconductor design and manufacturing employment. Consistent with a mandate in the “CHIPS and Science Act of 2022” and building on those inputs received through the RFI, the Network Coordination Hub will manage the NNME, including establishing, growing, operating, and coordinating the network with sufficient geographical and operational capacity to fulfill the semiconductor and microelectronics industry’s workforce needs. 

The Biden-Harris Administration has been laser-focused on creating new pathways to train and connect Americans to the good-paying jobs created by the President’s Investing in America agenda. The Network Coordination Hub and broader NNME will build on the National Semiconductor Technology Center’s (NSTC) recently announced Workforce Center of Excellence (WCoE), announced earlier this week, AFL-CIO’s Technology Institute and the nine Investing in America Workforce Hubs across the country. The WCoE is funded by DOC and operated by Natcast, a purpose-built, nonprofit entity created to operate the NSTC. The Network Coordination Hub and the WCoE will share information on best practices in curriculum and education, as well as outcomes and data from the workforce efforts they each sponsor. The WCoE will serve as the main platform for industry stakeholders to better understand workforce challenges and identify solutions. The Investing in America Workforce Hubs will bring together labor, industry, educators, and other key stakeholders to develop new partnerships to enact workforce solutions. The NNME, including the Network Coordination Hub, will disseminate these best practices to regional organizations across the country, adapting them to local conditions, stakeholders and institutions. The Hub and NSF will also coordinate with workforce organizations including labor unions as evidenced by the recent partnership with AFL-CIO’s Technology Institute to maximally support and include America’s current and future workforce.

The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 signed into law by President Biden provides funding to stimulate the resurgence of semiconductor design and manufacturing in the United States. A portion of that funding has been appropriated to NSF and DOC for education and workforce development to address the expected shortage of skilled workers the industry needs. 

About the NNME

The NNME, composed of the Network Coordination Hub, a set of regional nodes, and other performers, will be operated as a cohesive and highly coordinated operation wherein the capabilities, facilities and resources of the entire network will be available and accessible to any students desiring to pursue careers in the microelectronics industry. The NNME will be coordinated by the Network Coordination Hub to develop and catalyze new and existing efforts meant to prepare individuals for roles in the microelectronics workforce. The NNME may also eventually incorporate additional organizations and programs outside of the Network Coordination Hub and regional nodes.

About CHIPS for America
CHIPS for America has allocated more than $35 billion in proposed funding across 16 states and proposed to invest billions more in research and innovation, which is expected to create over 115,000 jobs. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, semiconductor and electronics companies have announced over $400 billion in private investments, catalyzed in large part by public investment. CHIPS for America is part of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulate private sector investment, create good-paying jobs, make more in the United States, and revitalize communities left behind. CHIPS for America includes the CHIPS Program Office, responsible for manufacturing incentives, and the CHIPS Research and Development Office, responsible for R&D programs, that both sit within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at the Department of Commerce. Visit https://www.chips.gov to learn more.

About NSF

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2024 budget of $9.06 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts. Visit https://www.nsf.gov/ to learn more.