(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- On May 9, 2012, the U.S. federal government issued a solicitation for proposals from teams led by nonprofit organizations or universities to establish an Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, which would serve as a pilot—or proof-of-concept prototype—for President Obama's proposed National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI).

According to the Broad Agency Announcement issued by the Department of Defense (DOD), the government anticipates awarding a total of $30 million over 30 months, with at least an equivalent cost-share contribution by the winning applicant. The pilot institute award and management will be a cross-agency effort, but will primarily be led by the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy, executed through the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Partnering with the DOD are the Department of Commerce (DOC), the Department of Energy (DOE), NASA, and the National Science Foundation. After the awardee is selected, DOC’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will provide an additional $5 million.

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