NSF invests $90M in three tech centers, including one focused on robotics
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) yesterday announced a $90 million investment over five years to establish three new Science and Technology Centers (STCs). These centers are designed to build sustained partnerships across universities, industry, and government, and to accelerate the translation of innovative ideas into scientific discoveries. Each center will receive $6 million annually for an initial five-year period, with the possibility of competing for up to five additional years of funding. The NSF said the centers will bolster American leadership in science and technology, strengthen the nation's STEM workforce, and drive innovation in critical areas such as artificial intelligence and robotics.
According to NSF officials, the centers are intended to tackle complex, high-risk research challenges that require interdisciplinary collaboration. After the initial five years, the centers may vie for extended support, which would allow them to sustain long-term research programs. The foundation emphasized that these investments are part of its broader strategy to maintain U.S. competitiveness in foundational science and technology.
“Maintaining the United States’ leadership in science and technology requires bold research, strong partnerships, and a skilled workforce,” said Brian Stone, who is performing the duties of the NSF director. “As advances in foundational science and technology open new possibilities, these Science and Technology Centers will help American researchers seize those opportunities, accelerate scientific discovery, and develop the talent and technologies needed to turn innovation into solutions that benefit the American people.”
One of the new centers is the Center for Human and Robot Co-Adaptation, led by The University of Texas at Austin. As service and assistive robots become more commonplace in homes, hospitals, workplaces, and public spaces, understanding how people and robots can safely and effectively adapt to one another is critical. The center will integrate expertise in robotics, artificial intelligence, and human factors to develop novel methods that allow robots with embodied intelligence to learn from human interactions, interpret user needs and preferences, and adjust their physical and cognitive capabilities to accommodate varying environments and individuals. This includes developing algorithms for real-time learning, intuitive human-robot interfaces, and robust safety mechanisms. Researchers will explore how robots can provide support for independent living, healthcare, and other human-centered services, ensuring that these technologies are secure, reliable, and user-friendly. The ultimate vision is to create robots that seamlessly integrate into daily human life, adapting to individual users and evolving societal needs.
The other two centers are the Center for Transformative Explorations in Multi-Physics and Engineering of Scientific Turbulence (TEMPEST), led by Michigan State University, and the Center for Genome Intelligence Engineering (GENIE), led by Northwestern University. These centers will push the boundaries of knowledge in their respective fields, contributing to advances in turbulence modeling and genomic engineering.
Since its inception in 1987, the NSF STC program has been a catalyst for new fields of discovery, forging strong partnerships between academia, industry, and government. It has supported transformative research that has led to breakthrough technologies, numerous spin-off companies, and the training of generations of researchers and innovators. The program invests in large-scale, high-risk projects that can open entirely new areas of inquiry and drive technological innovation. By combining expertise across organizations and collaborating with industry and other entities, STCs address complex societal and scientific problems and help move promising ideas from the lab to real-world applications.
The NSF added that the new centers will strengthen the nation's scientific and technical workforce by offering students and early-career researchers hands-on experience in emerging fields. The 2026 class of STCs will focus on advancing foundational research, developing critical and emerging technologies, building a skilled workforce, and translating discoveries into technological progress with national impact. The centers will also emphasize partnerships with industry and other stakeholders to facilitate the transfer of research outcomes into commercial applications and societal benefits.