2532359
Cooperative Agreement
Overview
Grant Description
NSF Impact Engine in Indiana - The importance of this project is that nearly every American will experience a musculoskeletal (MSK) injury or disease at some point in their life.
These conditions are a leading cause of disability, missed work, and rising healthcare costs in the United States (U.S.).
MSK problems also make it harder for people to stay active, remain in the workforce, and contribute to the economy.
Despite their widespread impact, new ways to prevent, diagnose, treat, and manufacture solutions for MSK conditions have not kept up with growing clinical demand.
At the same time, other countries are rapidly investing in biomedical research, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence (AI).
Together, these trends create an urgent need for coordinated U.S. efforts that strengthen domestic discovery, translation, advanced manufacturing, and workforce capacity.
The goal of this project is to establish the NSF Impact Engine in Indiana, a coordinated regional network designed to speed up MSK innovation while supporting national health, economic strength, and U.S. leadership in biotechnology.
Indiana has a unique concentration of MSK-related strengths, including orthopedic and medical companies, drug development, diagnostic technologies, advanced manufacturing, universities, healthcare expertise, and large-scale health data.
Today, many of these resources operate separately, which slows collaboration and delays real-world impact.
This project plans to connect these strengths into a shared, accessible innovation system that helps move ideas more quickly from research to practical solutions.
These efforts aim to reduce the burden of MSK conditions and ensure U.S. leadership in biotechnology, AI, and manufacturing, while strengthening the economy in Indiana and beyond.
In addition to advancing technology and bringing innovations to market, IMPACT aims to enhance education and workforce development.
It will expand training and career opportunities linked to emerging fields such as biotechnology, AI, and advanced manufacturing.
By creating clear pathways for students, workers, entrepreneurs, and community members, the project seeks to broaden participation in the MSK innovation economy.
Through its combined focus on innovation, workforce development, and regional-to-national impact, the project supports national interests by advancing science, improving health and prosperity, and strengthening U.S. competitiveness in a critical area of healthcare innovation and manufacturing.
The goals of this project are to establish a durable, stakeholder-driven musculoskeletal (MSK) innovation ecosystem that spans use-inspired research and development, translation to practice, commercialization, and workforce development.
The project will operate through an integrated innovation value chain that connects ideation, prototyping, validation, regulatory planning, technology readiness level (TRL) advancement, product commercialization, market adoption, and workforce development.
The project aims to deploy three use-inspired R&D studios – biomedical engineering, discovery, and artificial intelligence (AI) – to address unmet MSK needs across TRLs.
These studios will leverage multimodal data, including imaging, electronic health records, biospecimens, and outcomes data, to advance orthopedic devices, biologics, diagnostics, manufacturing processes, and AI-enabled tools.
Translation-to-practice activities will provide coordinated regulatory, engineering, legal, and business support to reduce risks, reduce costs, and shorten the time to market.
Navigators and project development teams will guide project selection, refinement, and progression, as well as mitigate technical and commercialization barriers early in development.
In parallel, the project aims to implement a comprehensive workforce development program aligned with industry needs, spanning K-12 STEM exposure, work-based learning for secondary students, advanced training for higher education learners, and upskilling for incumbent workers.
Together, these integrated approaches aim to strengthen U.S. leadership in MSK and life sciences innovation, expand and strengthen a future-ready and resilient workforce, and establish Indiana as a scalable national model for convergent biotechnology and manufacturing innovation.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Subawards are planned for this award.
These conditions are a leading cause of disability, missed work, and rising healthcare costs in the United States (U.S.).
MSK problems also make it harder for people to stay active, remain in the workforce, and contribute to the economy.
Despite their widespread impact, new ways to prevent, diagnose, treat, and manufacture solutions for MSK conditions have not kept up with growing clinical demand.
At the same time, other countries are rapidly investing in biomedical research, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence (AI).
Together, these trends create an urgent need for coordinated U.S. efforts that strengthen domestic discovery, translation, advanced manufacturing, and workforce capacity.
The goal of this project is to establish the NSF Impact Engine in Indiana, a coordinated regional network designed to speed up MSK innovation while supporting national health, economic strength, and U.S. leadership in biotechnology.
Indiana has a unique concentration of MSK-related strengths, including orthopedic and medical companies, drug development, diagnostic technologies, advanced manufacturing, universities, healthcare expertise, and large-scale health data.
Today, many of these resources operate separately, which slows collaboration and delays real-world impact.
This project plans to connect these strengths into a shared, accessible innovation system that helps move ideas more quickly from research to practical solutions.
These efforts aim to reduce the burden of MSK conditions and ensure U.S. leadership in biotechnology, AI, and manufacturing, while strengthening the economy in Indiana and beyond.
In addition to advancing technology and bringing innovations to market, IMPACT aims to enhance education and workforce development.
It will expand training and career opportunities linked to emerging fields such as biotechnology, AI, and advanced manufacturing.
By creating clear pathways for students, workers, entrepreneurs, and community members, the project seeks to broaden participation in the MSK innovation economy.
Through its combined focus on innovation, workforce development, and regional-to-national impact, the project supports national interests by advancing science, improving health and prosperity, and strengthening U.S. competitiveness in a critical area of healthcare innovation and manufacturing.
The goals of this project are to establish a durable, stakeholder-driven musculoskeletal (MSK) innovation ecosystem that spans use-inspired research and development, translation to practice, commercialization, and workforce development.
The project will operate through an integrated innovation value chain that connects ideation, prototyping, validation, regulatory planning, technology readiness level (TRL) advancement, product commercialization, market adoption, and workforce development.
The project aims to deploy three use-inspired R&D studios – biomedical engineering, discovery, and artificial intelligence (AI) – to address unmet MSK needs across TRLs.
These studios will leverage multimodal data, including imaging, electronic health records, biospecimens, and outcomes data, to advance orthopedic devices, biologics, diagnostics, manufacturing processes, and AI-enabled tools.
Translation-to-practice activities will provide coordinated regulatory, engineering, legal, and business support to reduce risks, reduce costs, and shorten the time to market.
Navigators and project development teams will guide project selection, refinement, and progression, as well as mitigate technical and commercialization barriers early in development.
In parallel, the project aims to implement a comprehensive workforce development program aligned with industry needs, spanning K-12 STEM exposure, work-based learning for secondary students, advanced training for higher education learners, and upskilling for incumbent workers.
Together, these integrated approaches aim to strengthen U.S. leadership in MSK and life sciences innovation, expand and strengthen a future-ready and resilient workforce, and establish Indiana as a scalable national model for convergent biotechnology and manufacturing innovation.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Subawards are planned for this award.
Awardee
Funding Goals
THE GOAL OF THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, "NSF REGIONAL INNOVATION ENGINES", IS IDENTIFIED IN THE LINK: HTTPS://WWW.NSF.GOV/PUBLICATIONS/PUB_SUMM.JSP?ODS_KEY=NSF24565
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding Agency
Place of Performance
Indianapolis,
Indiana
46202-5120
United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
Related Opportunity
Trustees Of Indiana University was awarded
MSK Innovation Ecosystem: Advancing Biotechnology Manufacturing in Indiana
Cooperative Agreement 2532359
worth $7,500,000
from in August 2026 with work to be completed primarily in Indianapolis Indiana United States.
The grant
has a duration of 10 years and
was awarded through assistance program 47.084 NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships.
The Cooperative Agreement was awarded through grant opportunity NSF Regional Innovation Engines.
Status
(Ongoing)
Last Modified 9/11/26
Period of Performance
8/1/26
Start Date
7/31/36
End Date
Funding Split
$7.5M
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$7.5M
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Transaction History
Modifications to 2532359
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
2532359
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Public/State Controlled Institution Of Higher Education
Awarding Office
491502 INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEMS
Funding Office
491502 INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEMS
Awardee UEI
YH86RTW2YVJ4
Awardee CAGE
4E748
Performance District
IN-07
Senators
Todd Young
Mike Braun
Mike Braun
Modified: 9/11/26