IeMPACT Collaboration Letters
This website is used to submit Letters of Collaboration (Participation Letters) supporting the IeMPACT: Innovation Engine for Manufacturing Productivity and Advanced Control Technology proposal to the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Engine program.
IeMPACT is a national-scale initiative focused on integrating cyber and physical systems to transform precision manufacturing and machinery. The effort brings together an all-of-industry coalition, including:
- Large and small manufacturing companies
- Universities and community colleges
- Government and public-sector organizations
Together, these partners will advance both basic and applied research, strengthen the U.S. manufacturing workforce, and establish a long-term collaborative hub for innovation in machining and machinery systems.
The NSF Innovation Engine program represents a major long-term investment opportunity, with up to 10 years of support and up to $160 million in potential funding. IeMPACT is designed as a large-scale, high-impact initiative with activities structured to achieve national-level transformation in precision manufacturing.
Why Letters of Collaboration Are Required
To demonstrate the strength, scale, and readiness of the precision manufacturing ecosystem, NSF requires submission of Letters of Collaboration (Participation Letters) from partner organizations.
These letters serve two key purposes:
- Demonstrate ecosystem scale and engagement across industry, academia, and government
- Confirm partner intent to collaborate and contribute resources if the Innovation Engine is funded
All submitted letters must include NSF-required language (shown below) and should follow the provided template.
Required NSF Letter Language
Each Letter of Collaboration must include the following statement:
“By signing below, I acknowledge that I, or my organization, will collaborate and/or commit resources as detailed in the proposal entitled ‘IeMPACT: Innovation Engine for Manufacturing Productivity and Advanced Control Technology.’ I, or my organization, agree to undertake the tasks described and commit to contribute or make available the resources described in the Proposal Description or in the Existing and New Resources to be made available for the Project sections of the proposal.”
Participation Commitment Framework
IeMPACT is structured as a membership-driven Innovation Engine. Partner commitments described in submitted letters are based on a good-faith estimate of engagement, assuming:
- The Innovation Engine is funded
- The research remains aligned with partner interests
- Project performance remains strong and valuable to participants
As stated in the proposal:
“IeMPACT will employ a membership-driven business model. The participation commitments detailed in the letters of collaboration are based upon a good-faith effort to estimate the activity of the organization, assuming that IeMPACT is funded, that its research remains aligned with the interests of the organization, and that performance of IeMPACT remains exemplary. It is recognized that no organization can make commitments as many as ten years into the future, but partners anticipate the commitment levels indicated are reasonable and achievable, assuming IeMPACT is successful.”
Membership Model & Contributions
Participation in IeMPACT follows a tiered, membership-based model:
- Large corporations: annual membership dues
- Small and medium enterprises (SMEs): in-kind contributions (expertise, facilities, data, personnel time)
- Universities and colleges: in-kind research and educational collaboration
While final contribution levels are still being refined, a target contribution of approximately $50,000 (direct and/or in-kind value) per major partner is considered reasonable.
If funded, this level of engagement is expected to be both achievable and highly valuable, reflecting a strong return on investment through shared innovation, workforce development, and technology advancement.
Early Participation Incentive
Organizations submitting a letter prior to January 13, 2023 (for inclusion in the proposal submission) will receive a waiver of first-year dues or in-kind contribution expectations.
This provides an opportunity for partners to:
- Evaluate the value and direction of IeMPACT
- Engage without immediate resource commitment
- Participate in shaping the future Innovation Engine
Areas of Participation
Organizations may indicate support across one or more of the following activity areas:
- Creation of strategic initiatives to fill the gaps between the current state of precision machining and the vision of IeMPACT for the future of manufacturing which includes the full implementation of Industry 4.0/Smart Manufacturing technologies and driving US manufacturing to reclaim global leadership.
- Establishment and facilitation of regional workshops to focus on the specific technology areas of need in filling the gaps in the current state of technology and the future vision.
- Promoting workforce development and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in machining and manufacturing.
- Serves as a facilitator of relations between IeMPACT participants, providing a trusted third-party space to allow competitors to work together to solve complex problems and implement solutions unique to each participant.
- Provide thought leadership in the domain of precision machining and manufacturing by assembling the leading academic, industry, and government SMEs to dive deeply into solving the issues that will lead to achieving the IeMPACT vision.
- Maintain and refresh the technology roadmap that drives the activities of IeMPACT.
- Invest in new technologies that show significant promise in solving complex issues by achieving both evolutionary capabilities to the existing machine tool infrastructure and revolutionary technologies that lead to the next generation of connected, integrated, and networked self-aware machine tools and processes.
- Generate products and spin off new companies to benefit the region and the nation.
- Establish a mentor-mentee relationship program to allow fledgling technology companies to partner with established, successful industrialists for guidance and support.
- Provide testbeds for new technologies to be evaluated and matured for eventual commercialization.
- Define the marketplace for precision machining and manufacturing continually keeping up with the state of the industry and future opportunities.