The National Science Foundation is awarding 23 research projects a total of $42.4 million in grants under the second iteration of the Future of Semiconductors competition, or FuSe2.
The competition aims to advance semiconductor technology, strengthen the chips industry in the U.S. and support the objectives of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which include ensuring U.S. leadership in microelectronics, the NSF said Monday. The competition was launched in September last year, providing $45.6 million in total funding for 24 projects.
This year’s beneficiary projects cover three overarching topics, namely collaborative research in domain-specific computing; advanced function and high performance by heterogenous integration; and new materials for energy-efficient, enhanced-performance and sustainable semiconductor-based systems.
The various projects are being overseen by a total of 20 institutions, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Purdue University, Texas A&M University and Stanford University.
Commenting on the awards, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said, “These investments are not only supporting the future of semiconductors as a driver of our economy but also our national security.”