NSF Awards Innovation Grant of up to $160M to UW and Partner Institutions

A collaborative initiative involving the University of Wyoming, Wyoming community colleges and Colorado institutions has been selected by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to drive innovation, technology and economic growth in the region.

The Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine (CO-WY Engine) is one of 10 groundbreaking recipients of NSF’s inaugural Regional Innovation Engines program. The initial award to the CO-WY Engine is up to $15 million over two years, with potential to receive up to $160 million over 10 years.

The prestigious award places the CO-WY Engine at the forefront of the nation’s environmental and climate technology initiatives.

“Wyoming has always been a leader in energy and the environment, and we’re proud of that legacy,” Gov. Mark Gordon says. “Wyoming’s economy will continue to grow as we meet the needs of evolving markets and expand our capabilities for innovation. Colorado and Wyoming bring the expertise and know-how necessary to develop new technologies and businesses that do that.”

“This award positions UW to play a bigger role in driving economic and technological growth in Wyoming,” UW President Ed Seidel says. “We are excited to be part of this regional collaboration with partner research universities and look forward to what we will achieve for each of our states and the region.”

The grant, described by NSF as a cornerstone in fostering regionally driven economic dynamism, aims to position the United States at the forefront of global leadership in key technological areas. With a potential NSF investment of nearly $1.6 billion over the next decade, the 10 NSF Engines represent one of the single largest investments in place-based research and economic development in the nation's history -- uniquely placing science and technology leadership as the central driver for regional economic competitiveness and job creation.

NSF’s initial $150 million investment into these 10 regions is being matched nearly two to one by commitments from state and local governments, other federal agencies, philanthropy and private industry.

“The inaugural NSF Engines awards demonstrate our enduring commitment to create opportunity everywhere and enable innovation anywhere,” NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan says. “Through these NSF Engines, NSF aims to expand the frontiers of technology and innovation and spur economic growth across the nation through unprecedented investments in people and partnerships. NSF Engines hold significant promise to elevate and transform entire geographic regions into world-leading hubs of innovation.”

The CO-WY Engine institutions will receive resources and platforms to expand their research capabilities, fostering groundbreaking innovations that will shape the future of carbon management technologies.

In addition to UW, institutions participating in the CO-WY Engine are: Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State University, University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Colorado-Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver and University of Northern Colorado.

In Wyoming, the state’s community colleges, the Wyoming Business Council, the Department of Workforce Services and UW’s High Plains American Indian Research Institute also will play important roles. UW also is partnering with the National Center for Atmospheric Research-Wyoming Supercomputing Center in the project.

“In working to translate research and innovation to society and workforce development and more, our efforts will convert environmental monitoring technologies and predictive analytics into trustworthy decision-support systems; mitigate environmental and economic degradation; and advance solutions that result in community resiliency,” says Parag Chitnis, UW’s vice president for research and economic development. “Collaborations between economic development and workforce services agencies in the two states are key to the success of this engine, which will involve coproduction of knowledge and will be rooted in the communities it serves.”

Specifically, UW will seek opportunities to co-create technologies in soil carbon and carbon offsets; methane monitoring and detection; resilient energy expansion; earth sensing; smart communities; complex modeling technologies; data capture; and other technology areas of interest.

The grant’s impact extends beyond the confines of the laboratory. It empowers the partner universities to engage more profoundly in technology transfer and commercialization efforts. This involvement is crucial in translating academic research into tangible, market-ready innovations that address critical challenges facing the region and the world. By doing so, these universities not only will contribute to academic knowledge, but also play a pivotal role in driving real-world impact, aligning their research goals with the pressing needs of industry, government and communities.

About the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine

The CO-WY Engine is a collaborative initiative focused on driving innovation in climate resilience and sustainability across the Colorado-Wyoming region. Supported by the NSF Engines program, the CO-WY Engine brings together a diverse network of partners to develop and commercialize technologies that address critical environmental challenges, fostering economic growth and enhancing community well-being.

About the NSF Engines Program

Launched by the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships in May 2022, the NSF Engines program uniquely harnesses the nation’s science and technology research, development enterprise and regional-level resources. For more information, visit the NSF Engines program website.

The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 authorized the NSF Engines program with a focus on market-driven research and development, innovation, translation and workforce development.