Originally published by NSPIRE

In July 2025, the National Science Foundation announced that NSPIRE was selected as one of 29 semifinalists for support as a Regional Innovation Engine from among more than 300 expressions of interest submitted. Building NSPIRE into an NSF Engine would enable the vibrant partnerships and innovations at its core to expand and mesh into a dynamic ecosystem with six key focus areas: cross-sector partnerships and stakeholder alignment, use inspire research and development, translation of innovation to practice, workforce development, regional engagement, and strategic regional investment.