WASHINGTON – Senator Chuck Grassley announced today that Iowa State University has received a grant totaling $464,802 from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology through the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program.
The Iowa Center for Industrial Research and Service at Iowa State will use the funds to assist small and medium sized manufacturers make technological changes in order to increase their competitiveness.
“The Iowa Center for Industrial Research and Service has helped many Iowa businesses – including many small, family businesses – increase their strength in today’s global market,” Grassley said. “These funds will allow them to assist even more Iowa businesses.”
According to the Department of Commerce, Manufacturing Extension Partnerships are non-profit, university or state-based organizations which receive one-third of their operational funding from National Institute of Standards and Technology with a matching two-thirds realized from state funds, other regional partners, and revenue from fees paid by manufacturers for the services they receive.
Each year, thousands of local Iowa organizations, colleges and universities, individuals and state agencies apply for competitive grants and loans from the federal government. The funding is then awarded based on each local organization or individual’s ability to meet criteria set by the federal entity.