Thanks, Jeff, for posting this. This looks like a major new NSF TIP effort (Tech Labs) to launch and scale independent research organizations, with full-time teams and milestone-based support. NSF also indicates it anticipates significant investment later in FY 2026, including large, multi-year awards.
For additional context, despite the budget uncertainty many of us worried about this year, Science reported that NSF's FY 2025 commitments were roughly in line with FY 2024. All the more reason for our community to engage early and help shape this through the RFI.
Please sign up and join the NSF webinar this Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 11:00 a.m. ET (registration required):
https://nsf.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_1l92UxZ1TbCunBaSwVzhwg
NSF announcement + RFI:
https://www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-announces-new-initiative-launch-scale-new-generation
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Tinglong Dai
Professor
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore MD
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Original Message:
Sent: 12-12-2025 14:57
From: Jeffrey M. Cohen
Subject: NSF Announces New Initiative to Launch and Scale Independent Research Organizations
Good afternoon,
Earlier today the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a new initiative to support the launch and scaling of a new generation of independent, mission-driven research organizations focused on high-impact science and technology challenges.
According to NSF, the initiative is intended to expand the range of organizational models used to support federally funded research. It emphasizes interdisciplinary teams, greater operational autonomy than traditional university- or corporate-based labs, and milestone-based funding approaches designed to support sustained progress over time.
The initiative is part of NSF's broader efforts to accelerate scientific discovery, strengthen the connection between research and real-world application, and enable teams to pursue ambitious, complex problems that may not fit easily within existing institutional structures.
As part of the rollout, NSF has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to gather input from the research community and will host an informational webinar on December 17.
You can learn more about NSF's announcement at https://www.nsf.gov/news/nsf-announces-new-initiative-launch-scale-new-generation
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Jeffrey M. Cohen, MBA | PhD Candidate
Chief Strategy Officer
INFORMS
jcohen@informs.org
linkedin.com/in/jmcsc
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