Federal Announcements

The U.S. Department of Energy released a notice of its proposed guidance and a request for public comment on its proposed interpretation of the statutory definition of “foreign entity of concern” (FEOC) in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is designed to limit the participation of FEOCs within domestic battery supply chains, particularly within government-supported programs, and bolster the growth of domestic and friend-shored battery materials processing and manufacturing.

The Department of Defense's Manufacturing Innovation Institutes (MII) met with stakeholders to discuss how the manufacturing innovation ecosystem can support the services' modernization efforts at the Organic Industrial Base (OIB) Modernization workshop Oct. 25-26, 2023, in Chicago. Representatives from MIIs attended the workshop to get a better understanding of the current critical needs for modernizing the OIB and the subsequent opportunities to propose technology projects.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced that IPC International Inc., a global association of electronics industry manufacturers and suppliers, has established a national Registered Apprenticeship program to develop talent through industry standards and formal certification pathways.

MxD, the digital manufacturing and cybersecurity institute, announced a new partnership with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) to advance digital adoption by small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs).

Manufacturing USA is a national network of manufacturing institutes established in 2014 by the multi-agency collaboration that guided its formation. This DCL encourages the submission of research and educational proposals that align with the technical focus areas of the Manufacturing USA Institutes to establish NSF programs in the Directorates for Engineering (ENG), STEM Education (EDU), and Technology Innovation and Partnerships (TIP).

The Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a program of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has published a new interactive map to help manufacturers find workforce-related programs and services offered by MEP Centers in every state and Puerto Rico.

BioFabUSA, a Department of Defense-sponsored Manufacturing Innovation Institute announced the launch of the Biofabrication Technician Registered Apprenticeship Program to empower America's workforce with essential skills and knowledge for careers in the biofabrication sector while helping the Department meet the science and technology challenges for decades to come.

The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) launched an updated Semiconductor Alert Mechanism administered by the International Trade Administration. The Semiconductor Alert Mechanism aims to help industry experts at Commerce detect and assess bottlenecks in our semiconductor supply chains and better mobilize and coordinate U.S. government resources to reduce chokepoint risks.

The U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) has made one cooperative agreement award totaling $1,000,000 as part of its 2021-NIST-MEP-CAP-01 Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs). GENEDGE Alliance (GENEDGE), the MEP Center in Virginia, will lead a project, the Medical Manufacturer MedAccred Accreditation Pathway (MedMMAP Phase III).

Through the Future Manufacturing program, the U.S. National Science Foundation makes targeted investments in the future of manufacturing research and helps grow the manufacturing workforce. It is one of several NSF programs that support advanced manufacturing. The Future Manufacturing program's purpose is to discover manufacturing solutions that overcome current scientific, technological, educational, economic, and social barriers to provide new manufacturing capabilities for U.S. companies.