Technology Innovation Program Seeks White Papers

The National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Technology Innovation Program (TIP) announces that it is seeking white papers from any interested party, including academia; federal, state, and local governments; industry; national laboratories; and professional organizations/societies. White papers will be used to identify and select areas of critical national need and the associated technical challenges to be addressed in future TIP competitions. The suggested dates for submission of white papers are November 9, 2009, February 15, 2010, May 10, 2010, and July 12, 2010. However, TIP will accept white papers at any time during the period November 9, 2009 through September 30, 2010. TIP holds competitions for funding based on addressing areas of critical national need. TIP identifies and selects topics for areas of critical national need based on input from within NIST, the TIP Advisory Board, the science and technology communities, and from the public. TIP is interested in receiving input on the identification and definition of problems that are sufficiently large in magnitude that they have the potential to inhibit the growth and well-being of our nation today. This announcement explains the requirements and process for submitting white papers to TIP by interested parties. White papers from experts in other federal agencies are valued and welcome, and will enable TIP to complement the efforts of other mission agencies and avoid duplication of their efforts, thereby leveraging resources to benefit the nation. White papers may discuss any critical national need area of interest to the submitter, or may address any of the following topic areas: Civil Infrastructure, Complex networks and complex systems, Energy, Ensuring Future Water Supply, Healthcare, and Manufacturing.