National Institute of Standards and Technology December 14, 2016 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) plans to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in fiscal year 2017 (FY17), subject to the availability of appropriated funding, to competitively fund grants and/or cooperative agreements (hereinafter referred to as awards) to existing Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers to add capabilities to the MEP program, including the development and conduct of projects to solve new or emerging manufacturing problems. This notice is not the NOFO; 15 U.S.C. 287k(f), the statute under which NIST expects to conduct the future award program, requires the NIST Director to consult with small and mid-sized manufacturers regarding their needs and, in turn, for NIST to use the information provided to develop one or more themes for future NOFOs, which will be disseminated through www.grants.gov. Through this notice, NIST requests information from small- and medium-sized U.S. manufacturers related to the needs of such manufacturers in four areas: (1) Critical manufacturing technologies; (2) supply chain requirements; (3) potential business services, including information services; and (4) other technologies or services that would enhance global competition. In addition, NIST requests responses related to other critical issues that NIST should consider in its strategic planning for potential future NOFOs to be conducted pursuant to the authority contained in 15 U.S.C. 278k(f).