[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 5, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55022-55023]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-21644]


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OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY


National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing; Request for 
Information

AGENCY: Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

ACTION: Notice of request for information (RFI).

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SUMMARY: On behalf of the National Science and Technology Council 
(NSTC), Committee on Technology, Subcommittee on Advanced 
Manufacturing, OSTP requests input from all interested parties on the 
development of a National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing. 
Through this RFI, OSTP seeks input from the public, on ways to improve 
government coordination, and on long-term guidance for Federal programs 
and activities in support of United States manufacturing 
competitiveness, including: Advanced manufacturing research and 
development that will create jobs, grow the economy across multiple 
industrial sectors, strengthen national security, enhance 
sustainability, contribute to climate change challenges, and improve 
health care. The public input provided in response to this RFI will 
inform OSTP and NSTC as they work with Federal agencies and other 
stakeholders to develop the strategic plan.

DATES: Responses are due by December 17, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Responses should be submitted online at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeZdOIhLsiSLqqOWqP0MekJHA0EHlEDb_D6mjl-H5JghM0F2g/viewform.
    Instructions: Response to this RFI is voluntary. Respondents need 
not reply to all questions listed. Each individual or institution is 
requested to submit only one response. OSTP and/or NSTC may post 
responses to this RFI, without change, on a Federal website. OSTP, 
therefore, requests that no business proprietary information, 
copyrighted

[[Page 55023]]

information, or personally identifiable information be submitted in 
response to this RFI. Please note that the United States Government 
will not pay for response preparation, or for the use of any 
information contained in the response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Said Jahanmir, [email protected], 202-
819-5296.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Consolidated and Further Continuing 
Appropriations Act 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235), incorporating the Revitalize 
American Manufacturing and Innovation Act of 2014, revised 42 U.S.C. 
6622 to direct NSTC to develop and to update, in coordination with the 
National Economic Council, a strategic plan to improve government 
coordination and to provide long-term guidance for Federal programs and 
activities in support of United States manufacturing competitiveness, 
including advanced manufacturing research and development (R&D). The 
current National Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing (``Plan'') 
was released on October 5, 2018 (https://www.manufacturing.gov/news/announcements/2018/10/strategy-american-leadership-advanced-manufacturing).
    Advanced manufacturing is a family of activities that (1) depend on 
the use and coordination of information, automation, computation, 
software, sensing, and networking, and/or (2) make use of cutting-edge 
materials and emerging capabilities enabled by the physical and 
biological sciences, for example: Nanotechnology, chemistry, and 
biology. It involves both new ways to manufacture existing products, 
and the manufacture of new products emerging from new advanced 
technologies.
    NSTC has commenced the development of an updated Plan to be 
released in 2022. Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6622, OSTP is soliciting public 
input through this RFI to obtain recommendations from a wide range of 
stakeholders, including representatives from diverse manufacturing 
companies, academia, other relevant organizations and institutions, and 
the general public. The public input provided in response to this RFI 
will inform OSTP and NSTC as they work with Federal agencies and other 
stakeholders to develop an updated revised Plan.

Questions To Inform Development of the Plan

    OSTP seeks responses to the following questions to improve 
government coordination and to provide long-term guidance for Federal 
programs and activities in support of United States manufacturing 
competitiveness, including advanced manufacturing R&D.
    1. Which emerging science and technology areas will be key to the 
next generation of advanced manufacturing for global competitiveness, 
sustainability, and environmental challenges?
    2. What should be the near-term and long-term technology 
development R&D priorities for advanced manufacturing, the anticipated 
timeframe for achieving the objectives, and the metrics in assessing 
progress toward the objectives?
    3. What are examples of technological, market, or business 
challenges that may best be addressed by public-private partnerships, 
and are likely to attract both participation and primary funding from 
industry?
    4. How can Federal agencies and federally funded R&D centers 
supporting advanced manufacturing R&D facilitate the transfer of 
research results, intellectual property, and technology into 
commercialization and manufacturing for the benefit of society and 
ensure sustainability, national security, and economic security?
    5. How would you assess the state of the domestic advanced 
manufacturing workforce in the U.S? How can Federal agencies and 
federally funded R&D centers develop, align, and strengthen all levels 
of advanced manufacturing education, training, and certification 
programs to ensure a high-quality, equitable, diverse, and inclusive 
workforce that meets the needs of the sector and drives new advanced 
manufacturing jobs into the future?
    6. How can the Federal government assist in the development of 
regional public-private partnerships to achieve greater distribution of 
advanced manufacturing clusters or technology hubs, particularly in 
underserved regions of the country? What outreach and engagement 
strategies are most useful in promoting development in underserved 
regions of the country?
    7. How do we assess the adequacy of the domestic advanced 
manufacturing supply chain and industrial base? How can Federal 
agencies assist small and medium sized manufacturing companies to adopt 
advanced technologies and to develop a robust and resilient 
manufacturing supply chain? What steps can these agencies take to 
promote the development and diffusion of technology that augments 
worker skills (rather than substituting for them), and ensures that 
manufacturing jobs are good jobs?
    8. Are there useful models (at the international, national, state 
and/or local level) that should be expanded?
    9. The current Strategy for American Leadership in Advanced 
Manufacturing (https://www.manufacturing.gov/news/announcements/2018/10/strategy-american-leadership-advanced-manufacturing) has three top-
level goals, each with objectives and priorities: (1) Develop and 
transition new manufacturing technologies; (2) Educate, train, and 
connect the manufacturing workforce; and (3) Expand the capabilities of 
the domestic manufacturing supply chains. Are these goals appropriate 
for the next 4-5 years? Are there additional top-level goals to 
consider?
    10. Is there any additional information related to advanced 
manufacturing in the United States, not requested above, that you 
believe should be considered?

    Dated: September 30, 2021.
Stacy Murphy,
Operations Manager.
[FR Doc. 2021-21644 Filed 10-4-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3270-FI-P