The U.S. Department of Commerce’s CHIPS for America initiative recently released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to drive advancements in semiconductor packaging and infrastructure. The CHIPS office will award up to $1.6 billion in funding across five specific R&D areas, creating a critical opportunity for innovation in U.S. semiconductor capabilities.
If your organization has an innovative project in advanced packaging for the semiconductor industry, this is your chance to secure funding in five key research areas. Applications must submit a concept paper, due by December 20, 2024, in order to be invited to submit a full application.
OST has a proven track record of helping companies secure CHIPS funding, and we can help develop your concept and succinctly convey it in the 10 pages permitted.
What You Need to Know Before Developing Your Concept Paper
Crafting a concept paper for the CHIPS NOFO requires an agile and strategic approach, given its unique submission guidelines and competitive evaluation criteria.
The government emphasized several key points during a recent industry day, including:
- Single Bid per R&D Area as Prime: As a primary applicant, you can only submit one bid per R&D area. However, you can be part of teams in multiple areas.
- Emphasis on Strong Partnerships: The Department of Commerce emphasized that partnerships are essential for successful proposals. To maximize your competitiveness, engage with partners who bring complementary capabilities, particularly in areas like advanced manufacturing, AI, or thermal management. Strategic partnerships can not only bolster technical expertise but also meet the NOFO’s requirements for transitioning solutions to commercial scale.
- Intellectual Property Ownership: While international partners are eligible for team participation, the NOFO specifies that intellectual property (IP) created must be owned or co-owned by a U.S.-based company. This makes it essential to establish clear IP agreements with any international collaborators and to ensure compliance with federal ownership stipulations.
Key Requirements to Address in Your Concept Paper
The NOFO evaluation emphasizes five main areas: relevance to economic and national security, scientific and technical merit, project management resources, transition and impact strategy, and workforce development. Commerce emphasized the following topics at the proposer’s day:
- Economic and National Security: Demonstrate how your project will advance U.S. competitiveness and security in the semiconductor sector. Articulate the relevance of your project to U.S. economic stability and resilience.
- Scientific and Technical Merit: Emphasize your technical goals, innovation, and achievable outcomes. Including metrics for success is critical
- Workforce Development: Outline a plan for developing U.S. workforce capabilities in semiconductor technologies, highlighting efforts to engage underrepresented groups in STEM.
Funding Breakdown by R&D Area
The CHIPS for America NOFO provides substantial funding across five key R&D categories, enabling diverse opportunities within advanced semiconductor technologies. Understanding the distribution can help you tailor your concept paper strategically to target areas with the highest funding allocations, which are:
How OST Can Help
OST Global Solutions offers end-to-end support for CHIPS proposals. Our team specializes in facilitating concept development and assembling effective partner teams, helping you communicate a compelling narrative within the NOFO’s ten-page limit. With a proven track record of supporting CHIPS funding applications, OST provides:
- Concept Development Support: We help distill complex project ideas into succinct, impactful narratives tailored to the NOFO’s requirements.
- Visual Strategy & Graphics: Persuasive graphics will be critical in the tight page limit. Our team designs visuals that highlight your project’s innovation, team strengths, and roadmap for success.
- Proposal Management: OST’s proposal management experts streamline the proposal process, providing structure, oversight, and ensuring every aspect of your concept paper aligns with CHIPS’ priorities. From organizing key sections to meeting submission requirements, we handle the details, so you can focus on delivering a strong solution.
- Grant Writing: our team of proposal writers interview your subject matter experts and craft a winning story with accuracy and timeliness. Our writing support enables a structured process ensuring quality reviews, a compliant proposal, and compelling narratives.
By choosing OST as your partner, you’ll be equipped with the expertise to craft a winning concept paper, aligned with CHIPS program priorities and built for maximum impact.
Contact us today to start on your CHIPS application and ensure your proposal stands out.
service@ostglobalsolutions.com
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