America Makes Announces Two New Rapid Innovation Calls Totaling $100K in Funding
RICs Focus on Materials Data to Foster Analytics, Benchmarking, and Qualification/Certification
YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO. America Makes announces two new Rapid Innovation Calls (RICs) worth $100K in total funding from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, Manufacturing and Industrial Base Technology Division to optimize additive manufacturing (AM) materials data and accelerate qualification/certification efforts within the supply chain.
“Our RIC project model provides a vehicle to leverage direct and actionable input from our membership community, enabling the Institute to pivot quickly to the evolving challenges of the supply chain and address critical needs within our industry,” said Brandon D. Ribic, Ph.D., America Makes Technology Director. “Both of today’s RIC topics address distinct areas focused on leveraging data to facilitate a more expansive and broader understanding of AM materials, processes, and qualification, which will lead to the creation of critical reference standards for AM products.”
Member Driven RIC
For this Member Driven RIC, the technical focus is the development of a searchable and scalable AM materials database capable of compiling mechanical/physical property data, as well as related pedigree information, from more than 75 America Makes projects. The goal is to improve data management and analytics. The database will equip the AM design community with trusted and validated material datasets and pedigree information. There is no cost share requirement for this project call.
Government Driven RIC
For this Government Driven RIC, the technical focus was directed by the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) to continue to build upon previous efforts of developing and demonstrating reference materials and resources for process monitoring instrumentation widely used in commercial AM metal systems. The goal is create a body of documentation to improve performance, benchmarking, and qualification/certification of AM products. This call has a cost share requirement of 25 percent.
***RIC Timeline and Details***
Launch: January 21, 2021
Eligibility: All participants (lead and sub proposers) must be America Makes members.
Informational Webinar: January 27, 2021 at 2 p.m. EDT. Registration is required.
Submission Deadline: February 8, 2021 before 5 p.m. EDT
Anticipated Award(s) Announcement: February 22, 2021
Up to two awards (one per project), $50K each
More information, details and participant guidelines for the RICs can be found at americamakes.us/project-calls. America Makes members and government stakeholders are also encouraged to submit topic(s) for future Member Driven and Government Driven RICs. As funding becomes available, America Makes will be announcing additional RICs.
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About America Makes
America Makes is the nation’s leading public-private partnership for additive manufacturing (AM) technology and education. America Makes members from industry, academia, government, workforce and economic development organizations, work together to accelerate the adoption of AM and the nation’s global manufacturing competitiveness. Founded in 2012 as the Department of Defense’s national manufacturing innovation institute for AM and first of the Manufacturing USA network, America Makes is based in Youngstown, Ohio and managed by the not-for-profit National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM). Visit americamakes.us to learn more.
About Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
AFRL leads the discovery, development, and delivery of warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. AFRL is headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, home to the Wright brothers and recognized as the birthplace of aviation. AFRL is comprised of Technology Directorates, Functional Directorates, 711th Human Performance Wing and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. For more information about AFRL, visit afresearchlab.com.
America Makes Media Contact:
Andrew Resnick
(330) 576-9292
andrew.resnick@ncdmm.org