NSF Awards N.C. A&T, Partners $160M to Build Sustainable Bioeconomy in Rural Communities

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (July 23, 2026) — A North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University team is a part of the National Science Foundation Biobased Rural Innovation for Domestic Growth and Economic Security (NSF BRIDGES) Engine that will receive up to $160 million from the agency over the next decade.

The high-level goal of this regional engine is to first transform locally grown resources in Alabama and Tennessee into robust and resilient bioeconomies — bringing those efforts to enhance crop cultivation, manufacturing efficiency, workforce development, creation and commercialization of innovative products, and more, to scale across the southeast.

HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology in Huntsville, Alabama, will lead NSF BRIDGES, creating an ecosystem of 18 academic research institutions including N.C. A&T as a core partner, 42 industry collaborators, 10 commercialization partners and 15 stakeholder organizations. This proposal was one of only 12 selected from 300 pre-proposals and more than 70 full proposals for this highly competitive funding opportunity.

While the BRIDGES Engine has a geographic focus slightly to the southwest of North Carolina, A&T professors will apply the knowledge they are creating there to all 100 counties in the state.

Michael Curry, Ph.D., and Jerald Dumas, Ph.D., faculty members in the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN), will primarily lead NSF BRIDGE’s workforce development component, while contributing their expertise in sustainable biomanufacturing and biorenewable materials.

“Part of my background is the usage of bio-based materials such as cellulose and creation of products that can go into the packing industry, the automotive industry and even the tissue engineering industry,” said Curry.

Establishing an NSF Engine of this caliber and magnitude across academia, industry and community stakeholders will create a bioeconomy that could help reduce reliance on fossil fuel, ensure people have the proper skill set at all levels, which would also strengthen our domestic manufacturing capabilities and more.”

To assist rural areas that “historically missed out on the tech boom’s advantages,” Curry plans to begin by developing a platform that engages with workforce development partners in Alabama and Tennessee’s local communities and government agencies within the first two years.

“The U.S. bioeconomy utilizes biological resources to produce everyday necessities like food and biofuels, and is a massive economic driver, directly contributing over $210 billion to the national GNP, supporting over 600,000 jobs,” said Masud H. Chowdhury, Ph.D., JSNN dean. “This competitive award will transform the regional economy, bridging the gap between biological innovation and workforce readiness to create the next generation of high-paying jobs.”

Building a bioeconomy begins with building a workforce equipped to convert regional crops into products for industry use.

“The BRIDGES Engine award positions N.C. A&T at the intersection of biobased advanced manufacturing and workforce development at a pivotal moment in our university's trajectory toward R1 research status,” said Emanuel Waddell, Ph.D., JSNN nanoengineering department chair. “Our department brings state-of-the-art fabrication and characterization facilities that are central to training the next generation of scientists and engineers who will drive this bioeconomy forward.

“Through Dr. Michael Curry’s leadership, BRIDGES has a direct conduit to our department's capabilities — and to the students who will translate this research into domestic economic impact.”

As a subawardee, Curry will receive $400,000 within the first two years, showcasing the types of competitive funding A&T faculty members consistently secure to address local, regional and global challenges.

“North Carolina A&T is a proud 1890 land-grant Institution that remains at the forefront of providing solutions for hardworking people every day,” said Lisa Clough, Ph.D., vice chancellor for research. “It’s a win-win for all involved, and for our researchers to be a part of not one, but two NSF Regional Innovation Engines is concrete evidence of the undeniable impact we make in improving the human condition.”

BRIDGES is the second prestigious NSF Engine A&T has helped secure as a core partner. Another team from the university serves as collaborators on one of 10 inaugural proposals NSF selected in 2024 to establish the Piedmont Triad Regenerative Medicine Engine, which will also receive up to $160 million over 10 years.