The National Science Foundation is calling for proposals for the Enabling Access to the Semiconductor Chip Ecosystem for Design, Fabrication and Training program, which seeks to establish infrastructure that would support the entire process of designing integrated micro/nano-electronic circuits, or ICs. The tools are seen as a key element of U.S. national security and an enabler of various emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
The Chips Design Hub program is open to institutions of higher education and non-profit, non-academic organizations and envisions infrastructure that would, among other things, provide students and academic researchers with various tools, design kits and educational materials that would facilitate IC design, according to the solicitation posted by the NSF.
The solicitation is expected to result in two cooperative agreement awards to be issued within fiscal year 2024. Each award will be worth up to $8 million and have a performance period of up to five years, depending on the scope of the proposal.
Interested parties have until April 4 to submit proposals.