Request For Proposals: Seed Research and Demonstration Projects on AI + Automation for Manufacturing
Join the zoom info session with INM leadership
4:00pm Sept 30, 2025
Introduction and Research Focus
MIT’s Initiative for New Manufacturing drives research, education, and collaborations to transform the future of manufacturing in the United States and beyond. INM’s industry consortium is one of its key programs. The consortium launched in 2025 alongside INM and has 7 founding member companies: Amgen, Autodesk, Flex, GE Vernova, PTC, Siemens, and Sanofi.
Central to INM’s mission, and that of the industry members, is the deployment of automation and AI-driven methods to increase the productivity of manufacturing, to increase agility and resilience in transitioning between design and manufacturing, and working across the life cycle of manufacturing systems. With funding from the industry consortium, INM will fund a first cohort of seed research projects and demonstration projects as described below.
Topic Areas
The topics below were synthesized from input by INM member companies. We are seeking ideas that best capture MIT expertise. Proposals should target foundational methods, representations, and proofs-of-concept that show the potential to fundamentally impact manufacturing through deployment of automation, AI, and integrated approaches in the future. These topics are presented as intentionally broad, yet for both seed proposals and demonstration project proposals, it will be valuable for ideas to be connected to specific manufacturing contexts, such as discrete part manufacturing and/or assembly, continuous processing, and relative to the specific needs/challenges of high volume manufacturing, or low-volume high-mix operations (such as customized manufacturing repair). The interests of INM’s member companies collectively represent this full spectrum, along with design and simulation capabilities.
Manufacturing-focused Robotics
Novel automation and digitally enabled approaches for production and repair, including: dexterous manipulation, high-speed automation, and mobile robots/cobots.
Agentic AI for Manufacturing
Agentic approaches to help humans and machines automate or coordinate tasks, such as design to manufacturing translation, continuous improvement, repair, and decision support.
Process Intelligence and Control
Approaches to AI-based control of continuous and batch processes that learn in real time, predict deviations, optimize parameters, and/or enable accelerated ramp-up.
Manufacturing Knowledge Synthesis from Multimodal Data
Methods that learn from textual, video, and discrete or continuous data, to synthesize knowledge for uses such as training, troubleshooting, and/or repair.
Linking Design and Manufacturing Data
Approaches to connect design and manufacturing data (including process, machine, and system performance) to enable AI-driven representations of process capabilities and factory operations.
Design-Production Feedback
Approaches to bring manufacturing data, quality signals, and production constraints directly into design representations (including 3D data) to facilitate concurrent engineering.
Wild Card
Any topic related to automation and AI for manufacturing not captured above.
Project Scope
We invite proposals for two types of projects
One-year seed research projects, with a maximum budget of $150,000 (including full F&A). Proposed projects should be distinct from ongoing efforts led by the PI(s), yet can build upon established expertise and complementary work, seeking to break new ground for follow-on efforts. Proposals will be reviewed by INM leadership and selected MIT experts, with advisory input from INM member companies.
Six-month demonstration projects, with a total maximum budget of $50,000 (including full F&A). These projects are intended to extend ongoing work in the PI(s) groups, with a main focus on developing a demonstration that fits in the manufacturing context of one or more INM member companies. After initial review of demonstration project proposals, INM will introduce selected PI(s) to representatives of relevant member companies to establish more context and potential deliverables before final decisions are made.
We anticipate making up to 5-7 seed research awards and 3-5 demonstration awards.
PIs can only lead one proposal and be co-PI on one other proposal.
Submission & Evaluation
For seed research projects, please submit a quad-chart and a three-page narrative (maximum, including figures and references) including:
- Executive summary of proposed work
- Fit with topic area(s) and manufacturing context(s)
- Brief review of the state-of-the-art
- Detailed research plan (at least 1 page)
- Team & collaborations, highlighting involvement of students if relevant
- Schedule/milestones and expected outcome for a one-year effort
- Relationship to ongoing projects led by the PI(s) and any background IP
- Brief budget justification
- Potential follow-on work (if project could be extended/renewed)
For demonstration projects, please submit a quad-chart and a two-page narrative (maximum, including figures and references) describing:
- Executive summary of proposed work
- Fit with topic area(s) and manufacturing context(s)
- Brief review of the state-of-the-art
- Detailed research plan (at least 1 page)
- Team & collaborations, highlighting involvement of students if relevant
- Schedule/milestones and expected outcome for a one-year effort
- Relationship to ongoing projects led by the PI(s) and any background IP
- Brief budget justification
- Potential follow-on work (if project could be extended/renewed)
Templates for the quad-chart and proposal are provided here 
, and should be used for each.
Budget
- Include the provided budget template uploaded separately; budgets will be confirmed before awards are finalized, and KC records will be created at that time.
- Anticipated start date January 1, 2026.
Evaluation criteria
- Novelty
- Potential impact on manufacturing
- Clarity and detail of research/project plan
- Relevance to industry context
- Feasibility for a seed research project or demonstration project
Engagement with INM
- PIs of funded projects will be asked to present their work in selected workshops/meetings organized by INM. A brief final written report will also be requested, along with copies of any publications related to the research.
- INM will also facilitate direct introductions to current and prospective member companies if PIs are interested.
- Presentations and publications that were derived from research supported by INM should also acknowledge financial support by the MIT Initiative for New Manufacturing.
Intellectual Property
- Results of INM seed projects are not IP-bearing to INM member companies, and MIT will retain rights to any IP filed by inventors. We strongly encourage open-source methods/code, and the project funds place no restrictions on publication of awardee results. If appropriate, you are encouraged to mention intended sharing of methods/code, in addition to potential publication venues.
- For demonstration projects, practically, INM member organizations may wish to limit the data they share with MIT PIs and/or manage how demonstration project work is communicated externally. MIT PIs should anticipate, if awarded, the probable execution of a Non-Disclosure Agreement, Data Use Agreement, or similar contract mechanism governing data and sharing between MIT and INM company participants. INM members participating in projects are expected to share information in good faith and as necessary to support research goals.