The Technology Innovation Program (TIP) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking public comments on six NIST-prepared white papers outlining potential areas for research grants. TIP assists U.S. businesses, universities and other institutions in furthering and accelerating innovation through shared support of high-risk, high-reward research addressing needs and challenges meriting national attention.
The six draft white papers that are the subject of the current call for public comments distill the topics into the following areas of critical national need:
* Water: New Technologies for Managing and Ensuring Future Water Availability;
* Manufacturing: Advanced Robotics and Intelligent Automation;
* Manufacturing and Biomanufacturing: Materials Advances and Critical Processes;
* Energy: Technologies to Enable a Smart Grid;
* Civil Infrastructure: Advanced Sensing Technologies and Advanced Repair Materials for The Infrastructure: Water Systems, Dams, Levees, Bridges, Roads, and Highways; and,
* Healthcare: Advanced Technologies for Proteomics, Data Integration and Analysis, and Biomanufacturing for Personalized Medicine.
All six of the drafts can be downloaded at:
http://www.nist.gov/tip/wp/index.cfm
Comments will be accepted through September, 29, 2011, and should be submitted electronically using the automated response feature at the end of each document.
The Federal Register notice can be found at:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-27449.pdf
Robert Rains covers public policy-related NIST issues for ASME. He can be reached at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
