Economic Research and Analysis of the National Need for Technology Infrastructure to Support the Internet of Things (IoT) | 2019 NIST TPO IOT 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for 2019 NIST TPO IOT 01

The Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), through its Technology Partnerships Office (TPO), issued this discretionary funding opportunity to support an economic research project focused on the national need for technology infrastructure that enables the Internet of Things (IoT). The core purpose is to produce an evidence-based economic study that examines how meeting critical IoT infrastructure needs could affect the U.S. economy, particularly in the context of returns and impacts associated with Federal research investments. In practice, the funded work is meant to help decision-makers better understand where public investments can have the greatest payoff, what kinds of enabling technologies are lagging, and how gaps in foundational infrastructure may slow IoT development across industries.

The work NIST is seeking centers on two connected tasks: mapping technological and economic trends in IoT research and development, and identifying the most important gaps in the Nation's IoT-related technology infrastructure. The opportunity uses a broad definition of "technology infrastructure," describing it as a quasi-public foundation of technologies and technical knowledge that supports research, production, distribution, and marketing of improved products, processes, and services. This framing matters because many IoT enablers resemble public goods or shared platforms: they are expensive to develop, broadly useful across many sectors, and often underprovided by any single private actor. Examples in this general category can include measurement and testing methods, reference architectures, interoperability approaches, cybersecurity and privacy practices, standards-related research, and other shared technical capabilities that allow IoT products and systems to work reliably, securely, and at scale.

The expected deliverable is an economic study that translates these technology infrastructure needs into clear implications for innovation speed, productivity, competitiveness, and broader economic outcomes. NIST's intent is that the recipient will go beyond a simple literature review by combining trend identification with an assessment of where the U.S. innovation system faces bottlenecks. The study is positioned as a practical guide for multiple audiences, including industry and academic researchers deciding where to focus research and development, as well as Federal program staff and policymakers making choices about how to prioritize or justify public research investments. The emphasis on "timely IoT development" signals that NIST is concerned not only with long-run potential benefits, but also with the near- to mid-term risks of delayed infrastructure development in a fast-moving technology area.

Administratively, the award is structured as a cooperative agreement, which typically indicates that NIST expects substantial involvement during the period of performance, such as collaboration on project direction, feedback on interim outputs, coordination with related NIST activities, or participation in review meetings. The funding activity category is science and technology and other research and development, and the CFDA number listed is 11.620. The opportunity number is 2019 NIST TPO IOT 01. The posting was created on May 22, 2019, with an original closing date of July 24, 2019.

In terms of funding scale, the award ceiling is $400,000. The source text lists "ExpectedAwards: 100," though that figure may reflect an internal or system field rather than a typical expectation for awards at that level; in any case, the key takeaway is that the project is capped at $400,000 per award under the terms shown. Eligibility is summarized as "Others," with a note that applicants must consult the opportunity's additional eligibility information for precise definitions, which often means certain nonprofits, research organizations, universities, consortia, or other non-traditional categories may be eligible depending on the full notice.

Overall, this grant opportunity is about building a rigorous economic case for the shared technical foundations that IoT depends on, identifying where the U.S. is well positioned and where it is exposed, and producing analysis that helps accelerate high-impact research by clarifying priorities and expected economic returns from Federal investment in IoT-enabling technology infrastructure.

• The Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Economic Research and Analysis of the National Need for Technology Infrastructure to Support the Internet of Things (IoT)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.620.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 22, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 24, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 100 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for 2019 NIST TPO IOT 01

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