NSF Future Manufacturing (FM)
Posted February 24, 2021
Disciplines: All
NSF Future Manufacturing (FM)
The global manufacturing ecosystem has evolved dramatically in recent decades, driven by forces of technology and globalization and steered by the pursuit of greater efficiencies at scale. The Strategy for American Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing states that worldwide competition in manufacturing has been dominated in recent decades by the maturation, commoditization, and widespread application of computation in production equipment and logistics, effectively leveling the global technological playing field and placing a premium on low wages and incremental technical improvements.
The next generation of technological competition in manufacturing will be dictated by the use of computation to ensure the reliable translation of product designs to manufacturing plans; process controls that provide assurances that the execution of those plans will produce products that meet specifications; inventions of new materials, chemicals, devices, systems, processes, machines, and design and work methods; and new social structures and business practices. Fundamental research will be required in robotics, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, materials science, sustainability, education and public policy, and workforce development to lead this global competition.
The research supported under this solicitation will enhance U.S. leadership in manufacturing far into the future by providing new capabilities for established companies and entrepreneurs, improving our health and quality of life, reducing the impact of manufacturing on the environment and addressing global challenges such as climate change, pandemics and smart growth.
