The Federal Investments Reshaping STEM — What It Means for our STEM Workforce Community of Practice
A guide to NSF’s TIP Directorate, the Innovation Engines program, and the funding opportunities for industry, STEM education, and workforce organizations.
Significant federal investment has long fueled the nation’s STEM education ecosystem, with agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Defense playing a central role in supporting research, innovation, and talent development across the pipeline.
In today’s Substack, we take a closer look at a notable shift in how those federal dollars are being deployed—specifically within the NSF—and what it signals for the future of STEM education and workforce development.
The National Science Foundation is a federal agency with an annual budget of approximately $9 billion. NSF awards grants to universities, community colleges, nonprofits, and school districts. It doesn’t run programs directly - you can explore open opportunities here.
Our conversation is also timely for another reason: just days ago, the Trump administration dismissed members of the National Science Board — the independent body that oversees NSF — effective immediately. With budget cuts proposed and staffing reduced by a third over the past year, understanding how NSF works and what’s at stake has never mattered more for our STEM education and workforce community.
What Is TIP — and Why Is It a Big Deal?
In 2022, NSF launched its first new directorate in 30 years: the Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Directorate (TIP). The genesis for this directorate comes from a push by key U.S. senators to increase federal support for applied research. The core idea: the U.S. has world-class research happening in labs and universities across the country, but too often it stays there — never reaching communities, industries, or workers who need it most.
TIP was built around three key priorities:
• Accelerating critical and emerging technologies — such as AI, cybersecurity, quantum computing, biotech, and advanced manufacturing. These are high-growth sectors with significant national security and economic implications, and they’re where domestic talent gaps are most acute.
• Expanding the geography of innovation — historically, U.S. innovation has been concentrated in a handful of coastal metros. TIP is explicitly designed to change that, directing investment toward regions that have been left out of the innovation economy.
• Building a competition-ready workforce — high-wage STEM jobs, broad access, and a direct pipeline to national competitiveness.
The stakes are significant. Countries that invest in the deepest talent pipelines in AI, biotech, and quantum will capture outsized economic returns in the decades ahead. TIP is the federal government’s commitment that the U.S. intends to lead.
Innovation Engines: Regional Coalitions, Real Funding
TIP’s flagship program is the NSF Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines). Planning grants start at $1 million, and selected regional coalitions can receive up to $160 million over 10 years. Each NSF Engine is built around local industries and regional strengths, and is designed as a cross-sector coalition — educators, researchers, and companies working together. No single organization wins an NSF Engine alone.
The NSF Engines program expects more groups to lead and participate in NSF Engines, including:
Groups with distinct geographic reach.
Groups that open opportunities for all Americans.
Groups new to NSF or government funding.
We shared an inside perspective of how this works in a special segment of Episode 8 of the STEMCONNECTOR AI Vodcast Series with Mary Crowe, a leader from NSF’s TIP Directorate:
“We are asking the teachers, parents, guardians, and the students to tell us what their problems are… and then pairing them with researchers and technologists to design solutions.”
— Mary Crowe, NSF TIP Directorate — STEMCONNECTOR AI Vodcast, Episode 8
This is structured intentionally as bottom-up by having communities help define the problems. Educators aren’t seen as just recipients of TIP investment, they’re expected to help shape it. If your region doesn’t have an NSF Engine yet, the planning grant is the entry point. If it does, the question worth asking is “what can your organization offer to bring it to the table?”
ExLENT: Hands-On Learning for Emerging Tech Careers
TIP also funds ExLENT (Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies) — a program purpose-built for workforce and education partners. ExLENT supports paid internships and real-world learning in technical environments like hospitals, manufacturing, and research labs, with a focus on AI literacy, workforce training, and small business adoption of emerging tech.
“These hubs are going to help build hands-on learning pathways… and translate AI skills into real-world applications.”
— Mary Crowe, NSF TIP Directorate — STEMCONNECTOR AI Vodcast, Episode 8
For community colleges, regional universities, and workforce nonprofits, ExLENT is worth a close look: NSF ExLENT Program Page.
FINDERS FOUNDRY: Accelerating Technology Solutions to Learning Challenges
Another initiative recently launched by the NSF is the Fostering Interdisciplinary Network Driven Educationally Responsive Solutions Foundry (NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY), which works to improve K-12 STEM educational and learning experiences. The program aims to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration to design relevant evidence-based learning innovations that address some of education’s most persistent challenges.
The NSF FINDERS FOUNDRY emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration and participation in the design process, enabling the co-creation of more effective and engaging solutions to improve teaching and learning. These investments will foster a culture of innovation and critical thinking, strengthen technical literacy and position the United States as a leader in an AI-driven future.
What You Can Do Next
• Educators and school leaders: Bookmark nsf.gov/funding and explore what’s currently open — there are programs designed to reach your classroom.
• Universities and community colleges: The NSF Engines planning grant is a realistic starting point. Start building or join your regional coalition.
• Employers and industry partners: TIP needs industry at the table. Cross-sector engagement is how NSF Engines get funded. Consider joining or forming an NSF Engine in your major market(s).
• Nonprofits and workforce orgs: ExLENT are your entry points. Watch for open solicitations.
• All Stakeholders: Reach NSF directly at nsf.gov/about/contact-us — program officers are there to help you understand how to engage effectively with the programs.
NSF will be hosting an additional informational webinar on Wednesday, April 29 at 4:00 PM ET. You can register here to learn more about the opportunity and ask questions directly to the program team.
For additional inquiries, please reach out to findersfoundry@nsf.gov.
Don’t Miss Episode 8 — Dropping May 12
Our full conversation with Mary Crowe from NSF TIP on a special segment of the STEMCONNECTOR AI Vodcast is now live and provides a deeper dive into the strategy behind TIP, what NSF is seeing on the ground, and what it means for STEM education and workforce development. The full Episode 8 of the STEMCONNECTOR AI Vodcast, which includes supporting conversations on Policy Implications of AI in Education, drops May 12.
Subscribe now so you don’t miss it: