NSF Awards $15 Million to Iowa State-Led RuralSTAMINA Initiative for Biomanufacturing Innovation in Nebraska and Iowa
核心洞察
The National Science Foundation has awarded $15 million over two years to the RuralSTAMINA (搜索) initiative, with potential for up to $160 million over 10 years, to build a bioeconomy innovation ecosystem across Nebraska and Iowa.
RuralSTAMINA (搜索) brings together approximately 70 public and private partners, including the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Iowa State University, to advance biomass conversion and biomanufacturing.
The initiative aims to develop specialty products including pharmaceuticals, animal vaccines, and biologics while creating workforce development pathways from K-12 through higher education.
The National Science Foundation announced on July 14 that the Iowa State University-led initiative RuralSTAMINA (搜索) has received $15 million in funding over the next two years, with the potential for a total of $160 million over 10 years depending on initial progress. The initiative, formally titled "Ascending Rural Communities through Sustainable, Transformative, Advanced Manufacturing Innovations and Alliances," brings together approximately 70 public and private partners across Nebraska and Iowa to create a bioeconomy-focused innovation ecosystem in the region's rural communities.
RuralSTAMINA (搜索) was one of 12 projects selected in the second cohort of the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program, which aims to support flourishing regional innovation ecosystems across the United States. The project emerged from a highly competitive process: 300 letters of intent were narrowed to 71 proposals, then to 29 in July 2025, and finally to 15 finalists that received in-person site visits from NSF last winter and spring.
Building on Agricultural Strengths
Together, Nebraska and Iowa represent the largest agricultural economy in the United States. RuralSTAMINA (搜索) aims to build on those powerful economies by developing and commercializing innovations in biomass conversion and biomanufacturing — and developing an advanced manufacturing workforce — to create new value-added products from commodities grown in the region.
According to Nicole Buan, professor of biochemistry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the current bioeconomy worldwide is about a $4 trillion market, projected to grow to $10 trillion in the next five to 10 years. "We're hoping that we'll be really competitive" as that growth occurs, Buan said.
The initiative will leverage federal investment to bring together academia, local and state government, industry, and venture capital to position Nebraska and Iowa to lead in this field. RuralSTAMINA (搜索) utilizes biomass conversion and biomanufacturing to innovate specialty products such as coatings, pesticides, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, animal vaccines and biologics.
A New Paradigm for Research Funding
Jen Nelson, vice chancellor for research and innovation at Nebraska and co-principal investigator for RuralSTAMINA (搜索), noted that projects funded through NSF Engines are not typical research grants. Instead, they are designed to catalyze innovation ecosystems across regions, bringing together partners from multiple sectors to spur economic development and capacity building.
Dan Hoffman, chief executive officer of Invest Nebraska (搜索) and a member of the RuralSTAMINA (搜索) leadership team, said NSF has focused on a more macroeconomic perspective that includes private industry earlier in the research and development process. "It's a little against the grain" of what universities are accustomed to, Hoffman said, but this approach is key because competition is intense, especially with China, to build the bioeconomy. "It is a more holistic approach. We have to move fast."
Workforce Development and Education Pathways
Partnerships among K-12 school systems, tribal colleges, community colleges, industry and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will help educate employees to work in the future bioeconomy. Tammy Mittelset, statewide education and career pathways coordinator in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, said the grant will "help with the needs for workforce development in the area" and allow students to "see their futures in our states."
Misty Wehling, co-director of the biotechnology program at Southeast Community College and a member of the leadership team, said the project will help develop "seamless pathways" for community college students to enter the bioeconomy workforce or to pursue further education. A well-educated workforce could also attract more companies to invest in Nebraska, Wehling added.
Leadership Support
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer emphasized that the Engines program provides a powerful way to realize shared goals for research, innovation, and workforce and economic development. "Together, Nebraska and Iowa lead the nation in agricultural production," Fischer said. "Because RuralSTAMINA (搜索) plays to our region's strengths, this Engines award will help drive innovation in the bioeconomy and, in turn, provide a boost to our farm economy."
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen stated that "improving demand for agricultural products is one of my administration's top priorities. RuralSTAMINA (搜索) will increase the value of commodities produced by our farmers and ranchers, creating high-quality jobs and tremendous opportunity for the next generation."
Dr. Jeffrey P. Gold, president of the University of Nebraska system, called the initiative "a once-in-a-generation opportunity to look to the future while building on our incredible strength in the bioeconomy sector."
Core partner institutions include the University of Iowa, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Southeast Community College, Northeast Community College, Metropolitan Community College, Des Moines Area Community College, BioConnect Iowa, the Iowa Biotechnology Association, and Invest Nebraska (搜索). The project will have a chief executive officer, chief technology officer, governing board, corporate advisory committee and external evaluator.