U.S. National Science Foundation Awards US Ignite $3.9M to Establish SURGE: Supporting U.S. Regional Growth & Entrepreneurship

A complement to NSF TIP’s investments in regional innovation ecosystems, this three-year initiative supports regional coalitions poised for research-driven economic growth.

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#AI—US Ignite proudly announced a $3.9 million investment from the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) to establish Supporting U.S. Regional Growth & Entrepreneurship (SURGE). This new national initiative is designed to help regional coalitions amplify ongoing innovation efforts for sustainable economic growth through actionable tools, trusted expert guidance, and a powerful national peer network.

The award builds on momentum generated by the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program (NSF Engines), led by NSF TIP, which is catalyzing place-based ecosystems to accelerate technology development and translation, workforce development, and economic growth. While NSF Engines and other place-based investment programs provide large-scale, long-term funding to selected coalitions, many other regions are proposing strong ideas and demonstrating clear potential. SURGE will lift up these communities by providing structured resources, training, and connections, ensuring they benefit from the innovation economy that they help create.

“The NSF Regional Innovation Engines program has demonstrated that there is innovation capacity and potential in communities all across the nation,” said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director for TIP. “That’s why we’re excited to support US Ignite’s work to expand pathways and create opportunities for communities looking to leverage and scale their regional innovation ecosystems to drive research leading to economic growth and national prosperity.”

Through SURGE, US Ignite and its network of partners will:

• Strengthen regional coalitions committed to innovation
• Expand growth in AI, energy, and other emerging fields
• Foster collaborations across academia, industry, and local government
• Position communities for sustainable funding and long-term competitiveness

“This initiative aims to strengthen collaboration between industry, academia, and local communities, translating breakthrough technologies to practice and creating pathways for Americans to pursue high-quality jobs in fields like AI, energy, and transportation,” said Dr. Nick Maynard, US Ignite CEO. “By investing in local leadership and expanding access to technology resources, we’re ensuring that communities can shape the future of innovation.”

Additional kickoff activities, resource releases, and opportunities to get involved with SURGE will be announced soon. Follow US Ignite on social media and join the SURGE mailing list here to get the latest SURGE updates, or send a note to surge@us-ignite.org.

About US Ignite: US Ignite works closely with communities, military bases, startups, and researchers to solve their toughest economic development and technology innovation challenges. Operating like a high-tech startup, our nonprofit organization delivers customized results through stakeholder engagement, technical expertise, and targeted tools. In collaboration with our partners, we deliver project outcomes that include breakthrough technologies while creating innovative new jobs, startups, and services. Learn more at us-ignite.org.

About NSF TIP

The NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) seeks to engage all Americans in accelerating critical and emerging technologies to advance U.S. competitiveness. The directorate partners across sectors to advance three strategies – accelerating critical and emerging technology, expanding the geography of American innovation and building a competition-ready workforce. For more information about NSF TIP, visit nsf.gov/tip/latest.

Contacts

lizzette.arias@us-ignite.org