Society Of Manufacturing Engineers

POSITIONING THE ADVANCED MANUFACTURING WORKFORCE FOR DOD TECHNOLOGICAL SUPERIORITY THROUGH UNIQUE APPROACHES TO BLENDED LEARNING INCLUDING AUGMENTED A

SME-IAC MANUFACTURING ASSESSMENT PARTNERSHIP

MANUFACTURING BLUE SKY COMPETITION AT THE 2025 NAMRC/MSEC CONFERENCE; GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA; 23-27 JUNE 2025 -THE 2025 NSF MANUFACTURING BLUE SKY COMPETITION WILL BE HELD AT THE NAMRC/MSEC CONFERENCE IN GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, 23-27 JUNE 2025. THIS ANNUAL EVENT AIMS TO INSPIRE INNOVATIVE MANUFACTURING IDEAS AND FOSTER LONG-TERM ADVANCEMENTS IN US INDUSTRIAL COMPETITIVENESS. ORGANIZED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE SOCIETY OF MANUFACTURING ENGINEERS (SME) AND THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS (ASME), THE COMPETITION WILL SHOWCASE VISIONARY CONCEPTS THAT CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO AND IDENTIFY TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH DIRECTIONS IN MANUFACTURING. THE COMPETITION INVITES 6-8 FINALIST TEAMS TO PRESENT BOLD, INTERDISCIPLINARY IDEAS ADDRESSING GRAND CHALLENGES IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING. PRESENTATIONS FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY READINESS LEVEL/MANUFACTURING READINESS LEVEL (TRL/MRL) 1-3, AIMING TO INFLUENCE US MANUFACTURING RESEARCH AND EDUCATION THROUGH GROUNDBREAKING PROPOSALS. PARTICIPANTS WILL ENGAGE WITH NSF PROGRAM DIRECTORS, ACADEMIC AND INDUSTRY LEADERS, AND POLICYMAKERS TO FOSTER INNOVATION AND TECHNICAL COLLABORATIONS. KEY FEATURES INCLUDE A COMPREHENSIVE DISSEMINATION STRATEGY, SUCH AS VIDEO TESTIMONIALS, WEBINARS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA OUTREACH, TO ENSURE LASTING IMPACT. WITH AN ANTICIPATED ATTENDANCE OF 100 PARTICIPANTS, THE COMPETITION WILL DIRECTLY SHAPE THE FUTURE CAREERS OF RESEARCHERS, EDUCATORS, AND PRACTITIONERS IN MANUFACTURING. THE EVENT FOSTERS THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES ESSENTIAL FOR SUSTAINED INNOVATION IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING. DISSEMINATION OF FINALIST AND WINNER PRESENTATIONS THROUGH VARIOUS CHANNELS WILL EXPAND AWARENESS OF THESE VISIONARY IDEAS, INFLUENCING POLICYMAKERS, FEDERAL AGENCIES, AND INDUSTRY LEADERS. ULTIMATELY, THIS COMPETITION STRENGTHENS US INDUSTRIAL COMPETITIVENESS BY CATALYZING SUPPORT FOR TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH AND FOSTERING A ROBUST MANUFACTURING ECOSYSTEM. THE BLUE SKY COMPETITION DRIVES THE IDENTIFICATION AND ARTICULATION OF HIGH-IMPACT RESEARCH DIRECTIONS THAT EXTEND BEYOND THE SCOPE OF SINGLE INVESTIGATORS. BY EMPHASIZING RADICAL, UNCONVENTIONAL, AND DISRUPTIVE IDEAS, THE EVENT ENCOURAGES THE CONVERGENCE OF DISCIPLINES AND THE EXPLORATION OF TRANSFORMATIVE SOLUTIONS. PREVIOUS COMPETITIONS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE ABILITY TO ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE AND ELEVATE EMERGING CONCEPTS TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PROMINENCE, WITH EXAMPLES INCLUDING IN-SPACE MANUFACTURING AND BIOPRINTING. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

NSF MANUFACTURING BLUE SKY COMPETITION AT THE 2026 MSEC/NAMRC CONFERENCE; UNIVERSITY PARK, PENNSYLVANIA; 14-18 JUNE 2026 -THE 2026 MANUFACTURING BLUE SKY COMPETITION WILL BE HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MANUFACTURING SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING CONFERENCE (MSEC) AND NORTH AMERICAN MANUFACTURING RESEARCH CONFERENCE (NAMRC) AT PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, 14-18 JUNE 2026. THIS GRANT SUPPORTS A NATIONAL FORUM FOR IDENTIFYING AND DISCUSSING BOLD, FORWARD-LOOKING IDEAS THAT CAN SHAPE THE FUTURE OF MANUFACTURING RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND INNOVATION IN THE UNITED STATES. THE COMPETITION FOCUSES ON EARLY-STAGE CONCEPTS THAT ADDRESS SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, AND THAT MAY NOT YET ALIGN WITH CONVENTIONAL RESEARCH PATHWAYS. BY ENCOURAGING INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPLORATION OF EMERGING TOPICS, THE COMPETITION PROMOTES THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE WHILE CONTRIBUTING TO LONG-TERM ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS, PUBLIC WELFARE, AND NATIONAL SECURITY. CONDUCTED IN COLLABORATION WITH LEADING PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SOCIETIES, THE COMPETITION ENGAGES RESEARCHERS, EDUCATORS, STUDENTS, INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES, FUNDING ORGANIZATIONS, AND POLICY STAKEHOLDERS IN DIALOGUE AROUND NEW DIRECTIONS FOR THE FIELD. AS A PROMINENT EVENT WITHIN A MAJOR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, IT PROVIDES VISIBILITY FOR PROMISING CONCEPTS AND SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HUMAN CAPITAL NEEDED FOR SUSTAINED INNOVATION IN MANUFACTURING. DISSEMINATION OF FINALIST AND WINNING PRESENTATIONS THROUGH CONFERENCE-BASED AND DIGITAL CHANNELS WILL FURTHER BROADEN AWARENESS OF EMERGING IDEAS AND ENCOURAGE CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT ACROSS RESEARCH, EDUCATION, INDUSTRY, AND PUBLIC-SECTOR COMMUNITIES. THE PIS WILL ORGANIZE A NATIONAL COMPETITION FEATURING UP TO SIX FINALIST TEAMS SELECTED THROUGH A STRUCTURED REVIEW PROCESS. FINALISTS WILL PRESENT INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH CONCEPTS FOCUSED ON MANUFACTURING IDEAS IN THE EARLIEST STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT, WITH EMPHASIS ON BOLD APPROACHES THAT COULD LEAD TO TRANSFORMATIVE ADVANCES. THE COMPETITION IS INTENDED TO IDENTIFY AND ARTICULATE HIGH-IMPACT RESEARCH DIRECTIONS THAT EXTEND BEYOND THE SCOPE OF INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATORS AND ENCOURAGE CONVERGENCE ACROSS DISCIPLINARY AREAS. FINALIST TEAMS WILL PRESENT TO AN AUDIENCE THAT INCLUDES REPRESENTATIVES FROM GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS, ACADEMIC RESEARCHERS, INDUSTRY LEADERS, AND OTHER TECHNICAL EXPERTS, CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FEEDBACK, DISCUSSION, AND COLLABORATION. BY EMPHASIZING UNCONVENTIONAL AND POTENTIALLY DISRUPTIVE CONCEPTS, THE PROJECT PROVIDES A STRUCTURED SETTING FOR REFINING IDEAS THAT MAY INFLUENCE FUTURE MANUFACTURING RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AGENDAS. PREVIOUS COMPETITIONS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THE ABILITY TO ELEVATE EMERGING TOPICS TO BROADER NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION, INCLUDING CONCEPTS SUCH AS MANUFACTURING IN SPACE AND BIOLOGICAL PRINTING. EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE THE IDENTIFICATION OF EMERGING RESEARCH PRIORITIES, STIMULATION OF INTERDISCIPLINARY EXCHANGE, AND INCREASED VISIBILITY FOR HIGH-RISK, HIGH-POTENTIAL CONCEPTS THAT MAY INFORM FUTURE INVESTMENTS IN MANUFACTURING RESEARCH. 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.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.