Gen-4 Engineering Research Centers | 24 576

Opportunity Information: Apply for 24 576

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Gen-4 Engineering Research Centers (ERC) opportunity funds large, multi-university centers that unite academic research with industry engagement to strengthen U.S. competitiveness and accelerate real-world technological impact. The ERC program, established in 1984, is built around cross-disciplinary teams that advance fundamental engineering knowledge while also developing engineered systems technologies. A central expectation is that centers do not operate like isolated research projects; instead, they function as integrated, long-term partnerships that connect university researchers, students, and industry stakeholders around a shared vision aimed at measurable societal benefit.

A key emphasis in this Gen-4 ERC solicitation is support for convergent research, meaning research that intentionally brings together multiple disciplines to solve complex problems in ways that single fields cannot. NSF is looking for ERCs that develop and advance engineered systems with the potential for high societal impact if successful, linking the research agenda to outcomes that improve national prosperity, health, and security. Alongside technical advances, ERCs are expected to expose students to the integrative nature of engineered systems and the realities of industrial practice, preparing graduates to work effectively across disciplines and sectors.

Each ERC is expected to include more than research alone. NSF describes foundational components that must be woven throughout the center: engineering workforce development (EWD) across all stages of participation and value creation through an innovation ecosystem (IE) designed to outlast the NSF award. In practical terms, this means the center should build pathways that develop talent from students to professionals, while also creating durable mechanisms for translation and adoption of technology (for example, industry collaboration structures, partnerships, and other routes to sustained impact beyond the funding period). NSF frames the anticipated impact of the program across three levels: the engineering community, the broader scientific enterprise, and society.

Eligibility is limited and structured. Only U.S. Institutions of Higher Education that are accredited, have a U.S. campus, and grant engineering degrees at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels may serve as the lead institution and submit the proposal. Awards are made to the lead university, which then supports core partner universities and other partners through subawards. NSF also signals a strong interest in proposals that broaden geographic and demographic participation, explicitly encouraging involvement from STEM minority-serving institutions (STEM-MSI), non-R1 institutions, emerging research institutions, EPSCoR-eligible jurisdictions, and institutions serving students with disabilities or women in engineering and STEM-related fields.

Invited full proposals must meet specific organizational requirements or they will be returned without review. The lead must qualify as an Institution of Higher Education under the Carnegie Foundational Attribute classification. The ERC must be multi-institutional, consisting of a lead university and additional domestic university core partners, with no maximum number of partners allowed. To count as a core partner, an institution must receive financial support for at least three participating faculty and at least three students (and postdoctoral scholars do not count toward the student minimum). Importantly, the lead or at least one core partner must be a STEM-MSI, as defined by the U.S. Department of Education, with eligibility verifiable via sources such as IPEDS. In addition, cost sharing commitments must be in place from the lead and core partner universities.

Leadership requirements specify that the Lead PI must be a faculty member at the lead institution. Co-PIs may come from the lead or other institutions. NSF also allows flexibility in management by not requiring the Lead PI and the ERC Director to be the same person, though both must be affiliated with the lead institution.

From the opportunity record, this is an NSF discretionary grant in the science and technology research and development category (CFDA 47.041), titled "Gen-4 Engineering Research Centers" (Funding Opportunity Number 24-576). The original closing date listed is May 9, 2025. NSF anticipates making about four awards, and the award ceiling is not specified in the provided text.

• The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Gen-4 Engineering Research Centers" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-05-20.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-05-09. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for 24 576

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