NIST Rapid Assistance for Coronavirus Economic Response (RACER)

Background
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is publishing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 278s(f), as amended, and Section 7501 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The program overview highlights the impact of COVID-19 on the nation and the response by the Manufacturing USA network, which includes federal agencies and their sponsored manufacturing innovation institutes. The goal is to develop innovative agile responses to coronavirus health and economic threats.

Grant Details
The NIST Rapid Assistance for Coronavirus Economic Response (RACER) grant program invites Manufacturing USA institutes to propose high-impact projects designed to fund awards for research, development, and testbeds to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. The program aims to fund high-impact projects proposed by specific Manufacturing USA institutes to support research, development, and testbeds related to coronavirus.
The projects may include innovative medical and non-medical countermeasures, strengthening state and community resilience, creating testbeds or small-scale production facilities, or workforce development and training for a skilled advanced manufacturing workforce. The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement with individual project funding up to $5 million for projects involving a single institute and up to $15 million for projects involving multiple institutes.
Project durations are limited to two years for projects up to $5 million and three years for projects funded at greater than $5 million.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility is limited to current Manufacturing USA institutes not receiving financial assistance under 15 U.S.C. § 278s(e), as amended, at the time of proposal submission. Eligible Manufacturing USA institutes include AFFOA, AIM Photonics, America Makes, ARM, BioFabUSA, BioMADE, CESMII, CyManII, IACMI, LIFT, MxD, NextFlex, PowerAmerica, RAPID, & REMADE. Members of the institutes, individuals, and organizations not associated with the institutes are not eligible to apply under this NOFO; however, they may participate as part of an institute’s team.

Period of Performance
The period of performance is up to two years for projects up to $5 million in funding and up to three years for projects funded at greater than $5 million.

Grant Value
NIST anticipates funding individual projects up to $5 million for projects involving a single institute and up to $15 million for projects involving multiple institutes.