We’re delighted to announce that two visionary projects supported by the JTF’s Federal Access Center have been selected for the inaugural National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines program! Congratulations to the Great Lakes Water Innovation Engine, led by Current Innovation, and to the North Carolina Textile Innovation and Sustainability Engine, led by Industrial Commons!
Each of the 10 inaugural NSF Engines will receive up to $160 million for up to 10 years to develop innovative technology-based solutions with wide-ranging societal and economic impacts. The program aims to boost innovation capacity, create sustainable innovation ecosystems, and demonstrate inclusive economic growth. We are proud to have supported the applications of the following two Engines:
- Great Lakes Water Innovation Engine, led by Current Innovation. This project aims to develop a “circular blue economy” by deploying innovative technologies that attract water-intensive manufacturers to the region, recovering valuable energy and mineral resources from wastewater streams, and fostering workforce opportunities, all while maintaining environmental health.
- North Carolina Textile Innovation and Sustainability Engine, led by Industrial Commons. This project aims to build the nation’s capacity for environmentally sustainable textiles by advancing smart textiles and wearable technology, reducing carbon outputs and the number of textiles in landfills, and nurturing the development of new product lines that use circular methods.
We’re so excited about the transformative potential of these projects! Congratulations once again to Current Innovation and Industrial Commons!
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Our Federal Access Center is designed to ensure that coal communities are able to overcome barriers to accessing federal funds – e.g., high matching requirements, time-intensive application processes – and are able to leverage historic amounts of available funding to strengthen local economies. If you are working in a transitioning coal community and need assistance applying for federal funds, please contact us by filling out this brief inquiry form.
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