Workshop on a National Network of Research Institutes (NNRI)

The NSF workshop on National Networks of Research Institutes (NNRI) is a two-day workshop designed to bring together diverse individuals from academia, industry, philanthropy, government, and non-profit organizations to collectively define a distinctive and compelling vision and explore implementation considerations for a new type of research institutes. These institutes will engage in (1) fundamental research in critical areas of science and engineering and (2) the translation of this research, with an integrated team of partners, from industry, philanthropy, government, and non-profit organizations, to solve challenges of national importance.

Participants in the workshop will work jointly to develop a comprehensive vision and to outline the distinctive and critical characteristics for a new Institute model and NNRI in the context of NSF’s mission with special focus on two key goals: (i) strengthening US leadership in critical areas through use-inspired fundamental research; and (ii) fostering the economic and societal impact of federally-funded R&D. With use- inspired fundamental research as the major driver, the workshop will explore innovations in systems, structures, and processes that can deeply interconnect academic, venture capital, technology sectors, small-medium-large industry, and regional, state and federal government agencies.

Such innovations are expected to accelerate translation of fundamental advances in critical areas into services, processes, and products that can help achieve national goals related to economic competitiveness, domestic manufacturing, national security, shared prosperity, energy and the environment, health, education and workforce development, and transportation. The organizing committee will provide to the NSF, a final workshop report that outlines a list of findings and recommendations.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.