By Dan Moser
The National Science Foundation announced July 14 that the Iowa State University-led initiative, called RuralSTAMINA, has received $15 million in funding over the next two years, with potentially a total of $160 million over 10 years depending on initial progress.
As Nebraska's land-grant institution, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a core partner in the initiative: Ascending Rural Communities through Sustainable, Transformative, Advanced Manufacturing INnovations and Alliances.
UNL and ISU are among about 70 public and private partners across the two states that will participate in RuralSTAMINA. In Nebraska, other core partners include Southeast Community College and Invest Nebraska. Partners also include Northeast Community College and Metropolitan Community College.
Funding comes from the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program, which aims to support multiple flourishing regional innovation ecosystems across the U.S., spurring economic growth in regions that have not fully participated in the technology boom of the past few decades. The collaboration involving Nebraska and Iowa is one of 12 projects awarded in the program’s second cohort.
Source : unl.edu