Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Program | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/UCRC) Program is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity designed to build and sustain long-term, multi-party research partnerships that connect universities with industry and government. The core idea is that NSF provides an initial, relatively small amount of seed funding to help launch and organize a center, but the center is meant to be funded primarily by industry members over time. In practice, that means companies join the center, contribute membership fees and guidance, and help shape a research agenda that is both academically strong and directly relevant to real-world needs. NSF remains involved as a catalyst and advisor as the center develops and evolves, but the program is structured so that industry engagement and long-term sustainability are central from the start.

These centers are intended to produce applied research outcomes that matter to participating companies while also strengthening the broader US research infrastructure. A key emphasis is the integration of research and education: centers are expected to enhance the intellectual capacity of the science and engineering workforce by involving students in industry-relevant research, exposing them to collaborative, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and creating training opportunities aligned with emerging technology needs. The program also explicitly encourages international cooperation and collaborative projects, reflecting the reality that many industries operate globally and benefit from research networks that span borders.

From the funding details provided, this opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 08-591) is categorized as a discretionary grant program in the Science and Technology and other Research and Development area. NSF anticipated making about 8 awards under this solicitation, with an estimated total funding amount of $9,000,000. Individual awards list an approximate ceiling of $200,000, with a stated floor of $6,000. A cost sharing or matching requirement applies, which aligns with the program model where industry membership and financial participation are a major component of center support rather than relying solely on federal funds.

The solicitation is associated with CFDA numbers 47.041 (Engineering Grants) and 47.070 (Computer and Information Science and Engineering), which signals the program’s strong fit for engineering and computing-focused centers, though centers can span other science and technology domains as long as the research aligns with NSF’s mission and the I/UCRC structure. The funding instrument type is a grant.

Eligibility is limited to US-based, accredited academic institutions, including universities as well as two- and four-year colleges (community colleges included), acting on behalf of their faculty. Leadership requirements are specific: the principal investigator (PI) at each institution must be a tenured faculty member, and the center or site director is expected to serve as the PI. This reflects NSF’s expectation of stable, long-term academic leadership given that I/UCRCs are designed to be enduring partnerships rather than short projects.

The timeline in the source information indicates set due dates and an emphasis on planning steps. Letters of intent were required for planning grant proposals, with dates listed around early January and late June, while full proposals for planning grants and full center proposals had due dates around early March and late September (as described in the closing date text). The posting date was July 25, 2008, with an original/current closing date of March 6, 2009, and the opportunity was later archived on March 5, 2010. For applicants, this highlights a staged process where planning and full center proposals follow structured submission windows, and it implies that serious preparation, industry recruitment, and governance planning are essential parts of putting together a competitive center proposal.

For reference and official requirements, the announcement points to NSF Publication 08-591, and includes a support contact for access issues through grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

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