Building a new partnership

The National Network for

Manufacturing Innovation

Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology

June 7, 2016

Mike Molnar

Advanced Manufacturing 

National Program Office
NNMI Authorized by the

Revitalize American Manufacturing & Innovation (RAMI) Act

2

December 16, 2014 –

Signed By President Obama

September 15, 2014 –

Passed House

100 Cosponsors (51D, 49R)

December 11, 2014 –

Passed Senate with 2015 Appropriations

18 Cosponsors (10D, 7R, 1I)

118 Bipartisan RAMI Bill Sponsors

Sen. Sherrod Brown

D Ohio

Sen. Roy Blunt

R Missouri

Rep. Tom Reed

R NY-23

Rep. Joe Kennedy

D MA-4
NIST NNMI Responsibilities by RAMI

The Revitalize American Manufacturing Innovation Act (RAMI) 

calls upon the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to establish:

1. The “Network for Manufacturing Innovation Program” —

to convene and support a network of Institutes 

(Network function) 

2. The National Program Office at NIST — to oversee and 

carry out the Program (coordination, network support, 

and reporting function) 

3. New “Centers for Manufacturing Innovation” — using 

an open topic, open competition process (establish 

new Institutes) 

3
NNMI Program Vision and Mission

The vision of the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) Program is a 

future in which American technological leadership continues to sustain revolutionary 

advances in manufacturing that enhance America’s global competitiveness — resulting 

in increased economic growth and security, high-paying and highly skilled jobs.

The NNMI Program is composed of the collective of Institutes and a connective 

Network, each with a complementary mission.

• The NNMI Program mission is to advance American domestic manufacturing 

innovation by creating an effective manufacturing research and development 

infrastructure for U.S. industry and academia to solve industry-relevant problems. 

• The NNMI Institutes mission is to build U.S. leadership in and create regional impact 

around specific emerging technology areas by combining the efforts of the U.S. 

government, industry, and academia to solve the technological, workforce, and 

deployment challenges to advance these technologies into commercial production.

• The NNMI Network mission is to maximize the integrated impact of the 

manufacturing innovation institutes on U.S. manufacturing competitiveness. 

4
Current NNMI Institutes — Portfolio

America 

Makes

3D 

Additive

Mfg.

LIFT

Lightweight 

Metals

Power

America

Power 

Electronics

IACMI

Composites 

Mfg.

AIM

Photonics

Integrated

Photonics

Nextflex

Flexible

Hybrid 

Electronics

AFFOA

Fibers &

Textiles

DMDII Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation

Education and Workforce Development

Modeling, Simulation, Standardization

Domain - Specific || Enterprise
NNMI Network Goals and Key Functions

Network Goals

• Deliver long-term value to the U.S. manufacturing economy by 

amplifying the positive impacts of individual institutes

• Support the diverse business and operational models of Institutes

• Respond to lessons learned, evolving needs, and external change

Network Top Level Functions

• Establish the Network

• Facilitate value-added, intra-Network collaboration

• Foster robust communication between the Network and external 

stakeholders

• Sustain, strengthen and grow the Network

6
NIST is extensively engaged with every institute...

NIST Laboratory Programs

• NIST has lab programs and activities 

related to every NNMI institute.

• Summary document of engagement

7

MEP Engagement

• MOU in place with DOD and DOE

 Increase small manufacturer awareness of 

Institute focus areas, resources

 Facilitate small manufacturer informing 

Institute research

 Facilitate small manufacturer 

participation in Institute research

 Help deploy results of Institute research to 

small manufacturers
Facilitates expanded collaborations involving NNMI Institutes and MEP 

Centers, embedding MEP Center representatives at participating Institute(s)

NIST MEP FFO: Embedding MEP in NNMI Institutes

12

Purpose

To enhance the scale of Institute impacts on small U.S. manufacturers by conducting 

new pilot projects that broaden and deepen engagements involving NNMI Institutes 

and MEP Centers

Objectives

 Create approaches to engaging small U.S. manufacturers in the work of NNMI 

Institutes through hands-on assistance mechanisms and services such as those that 

are currently, or could be, offered by MEP Centers

 Develop and test business models for serving needs of small U.S. manufacturers in 

technology areas of NNMI Institutes by leveraging the resources, assets, and 

assistance capacities of MEP Centers

 Facilitate knowledge and best practice sharing between NNMI Institutes and MEP 

Centers – as set within the framework of the NIST-DOD MOU

 Cultivate an enhanced nationwide network of partnerships among NNMI Institutes 

and MEP Centers for the benefit of small U.S. manufacturers.
NIST NNMI Responsibilities by RAMI – 2/3

The Revitalize American Manufacturing Innovation Act (RAMI) 

calls upon the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to establish:

1. The “Network for Manufacturing Innovation Program” —

to convene and support a network of Institutes 

(Network function) 

2. The National Program Office at NIST — to oversee and 

carry out the Program (coordination, network support, 

and reporting function) 

3. New “Centers for Manufacturing Innovation” — using 

an open topic, open competition process (establish 

new Institutes) 

9
NNMI Network 2016 Thrusts

2016 Network Thrusts

• Network Branding and Communications

• Shared Services

– Information and Best Practice Sharing

– Technology Coordination among Institutes 

• Online, secure services system design and launch

– Committed to a basic online system by April, a complete 

and robust system by Q4.

– Voice of Customer interviews with Institutes

– We are implementing services in order of highest priority as 

determined by institutes

10
We launched a trial Shared Services Site

11
And implemented a shared calendar

12

• Events are entered by the agencies 

and by institute staff

• Information is relevant to institute 

directors

• Calendar events can be directly 

imported into personal calendars

on all common platforms 

(Outlook, Google Calendar, etc.)
And are Setting up a Shared Practices Library

• With document areas that are well organized, easy to navigate, and 

searchable.

• Documents have full titles and clear brief descriptions. 

13
14

First Annual Report

on the NNMI Program

First NNMI Reports Released

First Strategic Plan

on the NNMI Program
NIST NNMI Responsibilities by RAMI – 3/3

The Revitalize American Manufacturing Innovation Act (RAMI) 

calls upon the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to establish:

1. The “Network for Manufacturing Innovation Program” —

to convene and support a network of Institutes 

(Network function) 

2. The National Program Office at NIST — to oversee and 

carry out the Program (coordination, network support, 

and reporting function) 

3. New “Centers for Manufacturing Innovation” — using 

an open topic, open competition process (establish 

new Institutes) 

15
Wide Bandgap 

Semiconductors

Raleigh, NC

Upcoming 2016 Award

Smart

Manufacturing

New Institutes Planned for 2016

Open topic competitions 

Selected topic competitions supporting agency mission,

using agency authorities and budgets 

Digital Manufacturing 

& Design

Chicago, IL

Advanced 

Fiber—Reinforced 

Polymer Composites

Knoxville, TN

Lightweight Metal 

Manufacturing

Detroit, MI

AIM Photonics

Rochester, NY Flexible Hybrid Electronics

San Jose, CA

NNMI Network Status and 2016 Plans

Additive 

Manufacturing

Youngstown, OH

Future Network Goal: 45 Regional Hubs

AFFOA — Fibers and 

Textiles, Cambridge MA
Next Institute Topics under Consideration

• Bioengineering for 

Regenerative Medicine

• Assistive and Soft 

Robotics

• Bioprinting across 

Technology Sectors

• Cybersecurity for 

Manufacturing

• Advanced Machine Tools 

and Control Systems

• Certification, 

Assessment, and 

Qualification

• Modular Chemical 

Process Intensification

• Sustainable 

Manufacturing —

Recycling and 

Remanufacturing

• Materials for Harsh 

Service Conditions

• High Value Roll to Roll 

(R2R) Manufacturing

DoD DoC DoE

• Per RAMI legislation, 

DOC/NIST runs “open 

topic” institute 

competitions where any 

topic not already covered 

may be proposed.

• Institute competition is 

presently underway

• Subject to funding 

availability, intention is to 

award at least two 

institutes from the 2016 

competition

• Topic selected
Commerce/NIST Institutes 

“Open Topic” Competition

Uses new authorities under the Revitalize American 

Manufacturing and Innovation Act (RAMI) —

Proposals accepted on any topic not already covered by 

existing NNMI institutes or in-process competition

• Key attributes

• Open topic competition

• Up to $70 M federal share per Institute

• Each institute to serve as a regional hub with well-defined 

focus area

• Two-step process, Pre-Applications then Invited Full 

Applications — each step to be open no less than 60 days

18
• FAQs Developed

– 100 plus Questions Answered

– Available On-line

• Proposers’ Day Conference

– Details next slide

• Webinars Conducted

– Resources and FAQs 

• Budget & Operating Plan Template

• Document Library

• Event Recordings

– NNMI Institute Budget – June 8th

• RAMI Requirements

• How to Convey an Understandable Budget

• Cost Share

– Proposal Feedback Provided to Successful Applicants on 5/23

19

Competition Outreach
• Event Purpose: 

– To provide additional details regarding 

the Requirements

– To provide opportunity to ask questions 

– To provide networking opportunities

• Content Presented at the Event:

– Educate Attendees details about the 

competition

– elements of a complete and competitive 

application

– how applications will be evaluated

– leveraging the network of NIST MEP 

Centers

– administrative and award requirements

• Meeting Format:

– A live event with simulcast webinar 

– 100 plus Attendees at NIST;

– 145 online Attendees;

– Twitter reach - 299,723 accounts 20

Proposers’ Day Stakeholder 

Attendance Academia

For Profit

Gov't Fed

Institute

Non Profit

NIST Proposers’ Day - March 8, 2016
NIST Competition Schedule

Compressed Schedule for January 2017 Announcement

21

Work Phase Item

2016-NIST-NNMI-01 Competition

Status Dates

FFO FFO Published  Feb. 19, 2016

Competition Outreach

Events (Proposer’s Day)  March 8, 2016

Events (Webinar #1 

– Resources & FAQs)

 March 28, 2016

Events (Webinar #2 –

Assembling a Budget)  June 6, 2016

Competition 

Pre-Applications Due  April 20, 2016

Pre-Application Notifications

- Invitations to submit Full 

Applications were issued 

those applicants with 

merit

 May 23, 2016

Full Applications Due — July 22, 2016

Full Application Evaluation

- Technical reviews

- Panel deliberations

- Orals

- Final Ranking

—

July 25 to Oct 25, 2016

Recommendations to 

Selecting Official

— Oct 26, 2016

Selecting Office decision final — November 3, 2016

Packages to Grants & 

Negotiations

— Nov. 3, 2016 – January 2017

Award(s) Cooperative Agreement signed, 

Institute Award Announced

— January 10, 2016

Institute(s) Start March 2017
Thank You! – How to connect

This presentation is approved for public release. Unless otherwise labeled, images are courtesy of The White House, the National Institute of 

Standards and Technology, and Shutterstock

Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office 

Phone: (301)-975-2830

Email: amnpo@nist.gov

Web: www.manufacturing.gov