An inter-agency advisory council of technical experts from the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Energy (DOE), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) determined the pilot institute’s focus to be additive manufacturing.
A Broad Agency Announcement was issued in May 2012, officially commencing the solicitation of proposals to identify an agency or consortium of agencies capable of operating the pilot institute with a forward-looking technical vision; previous collaborative research experience; a background in educational outreach and workforce development; and the leadership to sustain the institute.
Upon completing its review of submitted proposals, the advisory council selected the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) to manage the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII), the NNMI pilot institute. The official announcement of the award came on August 16, 2012 at NCDMM’s Youngstown, Ohio facility and the headquarters of NAMII.
Youngstown, Ohio – August 16, 2012 – at M7 Technologies – (from left to right) Ralph Resnick, Executive Director of the NCDMM with Obama Administrtation officials Frank Kendall III (Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics), Gene Sperling (Director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy), and Dr. Rebecca Blank (Acting Secretary of Commerce and Deputy Secretary of Commerce) during the announcement of the NCDMM being selected to manage the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII), the pilot institute for the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI). (Photo by NCDMM)
