CHIPS AI/AE for Rapid, Industry-informed Sustainable Semiconductor Materials and Processes (CARISSMA) Competition | 2025 NIST CHIPS AIAE SUSTAINABILITY 01

Opportunity Information: Apply for 2025 NIST CHIPS AIAE SUSTAINABILITY 01

The CHIPS AI/AE for Rapid, Industry-informed Sustainable Semiconductor Materials and Processes (CARISSMA) Competition is a discretionary funding opportunity from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that aims to push U.S. semiconductor manufacturing forward by funding university-centered collaborations that use artificial intelligence and autonomous experimentation (AI/AE). The core idea is to pair AI-driven decision-making with automated or highly instrumented laboratory and process experimentation so research teams can iterate faster, learn from data in near real time, and move promising materials and process ideas from discovery to practical adoption more efficiently. The focus is explicitly on sustainable semiconductor materials and processes, meaning projects should connect technical advances with measurable improvements that matter to industry goals such as cost, manufacturability, performance, reliability, resource use, and environmental footprint.

The program is designed to be industry-informed, so proposals are expected to be shaped by real semiconductor manufacturing needs rather than purely academic curiosity. In practical terms, this points toward projects that are co-developed with industry input, aligned to current and next-generation fabrication challenges, and structured to produce outputs that industry can use or build on. Alongside research and development, the NOFO also emphasizes education and workforce development. That means successful teams are expected not only to generate new knowledge and capabilities, but also to train the next wave of researchers and practitioners who can operate at the intersection of semiconductors, data/AI methods, automation, and sustainability.

If funded, awards under this competition are intended to strengthen the long-term viability of domestic, next-generation semiconductor manufacturing. The opportunity description highlights acceleration across the full innovation pathway: discovery, design, synthesis, and adoption of new materials and processes. The point is speed with rigor: AI/AE approaches can reduce the time and cost of trial-and-error experimentation by intelligently selecting the next experiments, automatically collecting high-quality data, and continuously improving predictive models. In semiconductor contexts, that could translate into faster identification of new materials, improved process recipes, better metrology and control strategies, or more sustainable alternatives that still meet strict performance and yield requirements.

Eligibility is centered on U.S.-based academic leadership. Eligible applicants include domestic accredited institutions of higher education, as well as domestic nonprofit or for-profit organizations that manage consortia of accredited higher education institutions. “Domestic” is defined in a formal way: the entity must be incorporated in the United States (including U.S. territories) and have its principal place of business in the United States (including U.S. territories). A key application constraint is that each eligible applicant may submit only one concept paper and, if invited to proceed, only one full application. That structure signals a two-step process where an initial concept is screened before full proposals are requested, and it encourages institutions or consortium managers to coordinate internally and submit a single, strongest package rather than multiple competing proposals.

The NOFO also lays out a broad set of eligible subrecipients, giving teams flexibility to assemble the right mix of capabilities. Subrecipients may include accredited colleges and universities, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, state/local/territorial/Tribal governments, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), federal entities, foreign partners, and other entities that would otherwise be eligible to participate as applicants. Unlike prime applicants, subrecipients can participate in multiple applications, which allows specialized labs, centers, or organizations to contribute to more than one team. The NOFO draws a clear line between subrecipients and standard vendors: vendors who are simply selling goods or services in the ordinary course of business are not treated as subrecipients under this program, which matters for compliance, budgeting, and the nature of programmatic responsibilities.

From the posted source data, this opportunity is issued under Funding Opportunity Number 2025 NIST CHIPS AIAE SUSTAINABILITY 01, categorized as discretionary, with an “Other” funding instrument type, and a science and technology/research and development activity focus. The CFDA (Assistance Listing) number is 11.042, and the agency is NIST. The original closing date listed is 2025-01-13. The listing also notes an expectation of about 10 awards, while the award ceiling field is not specified in the provided excerpt. Overall, CARISSMA is positioned as a targeted CHIPS-related investment in AI-enabled, automation-forward research ecosystems that can deliver faster innovation cycles, more sustainable semiconductor processes, and a stronger U.S. talent pipeline aligned with industry needs.

• The National Institute of Standards and Technology in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "CHIPS AI/AE for Rapid, Industry-informed Sustainable Semiconductor Materials and Processes (CARISSMA) Competition" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 11.042.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-10-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-01-13. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

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