CHIPS and Science Act: Major Strides in Reshaping U.S. Semiconductor Manufacturing

by | Oct 8, 2024 | Innovation

In recent months, the federal CHIPS and Science Act has made significant strides in reshaping the landscape of semiconductor manufacturing in the United States. This landmark legislation, signed into law in August 2022, aims to bolster domestic chip production, enhance technological innovation, and strengthen national security. The Presidents Forum and our institutions are actively engaged in the CHIPS program. Please find important updates on the CHIPS program below:

  • The National Semiconductor Technology Center has officially launched the NSTC Membership Program. The NSTC is a public-private partnership creating an unprecedented infrastructure to accelerate R&D innovation, develop a skilled workforce, and secure the United States’ leadership position in the global semiconductor industry.  NSTC brings together semiconductor companies, academic research institutions, governments, workforce, organizations, and others to collaborate and propel the U.S. semiconductor industry forward. To explore membership opportunities, please visit the NSTC membership page.

  • The Department of Commerce announced that it anticipates up to $100 million in funding to award recipients that develop university-led, industry-informed, collaborations about artificial intelligence-powered autonomous experimentation (AI/AE) relevant to sustainable semiconductor manufacturing. The full text of the NOI can be found here.

  • Registration is now open for the 2024 NSTC Symposium and Microelectronics Commons Meeting.

  • Registration is now open for the first installment of the “Inside the Workforce Center of Excellence” (WCoE) series.  This will provide an overview of the mission of the WCoE, share information about initial programmatic capacities, and discuss the first anticipated awardees under the Workforce Partner Alliance (WFPA) program.

  • The NSTC Workforce Partner Alliance Program announced more than $11 million in anticipated awards to seven institutions supporting efforts to develop the semiconductor workforce ecosystem across more than a dozen U.S. states.

    • American Federation of Teachers Educational Foundation

    • Idaho Technology Council

    • Maricopa County Community College District

    • Rochester Institute of Technology

    • Texas A&M University

    • University of California, Los Angeles

    • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  • CHIPS recently launched the Metrology Exchange to Innovate in Semiconductors, or METIS, a data exchange ecosystem that will give stakeholders access to CHIPS Metrology research results and serve to catalyze innovative breakthroughs in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. To learn more and explore the database, please visit https://metis.nist.gov

  • The U.S. National Science Foundation and DOC announced a $30 million funding opportunity for a Network Coordination Hub that will manage the National Network for Microelectronics Education (NNME) and lead its national strategy to address the expected shortage of skilled workers needed by the U.S. semiconductor and microelectronics industry over the next decade. You can find the solicitation linked here.

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