ELEGANT OTASO 9 17 2026 Final.pdf

Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate

Ecosystem for Low-dimensional Electronics: Growth, Assembly, Nanoelectronics, and Translation (ELEGANT)

OTHER TRANSACTION AGREEMENT SOLUTIONS OFFERING

(OTASO)

Solicitation Number: NSF-OTASO-FY26-ELEGANT

Issue Date: Thursday, September 17, 2026

Proposal Due Date: Friday, December 18, 2026

Program Director: Michael Huff, Ph.D.

Contents

1.0 Purpose and Background

2.0 Eligibility

3.0 Expected Award Amounts and Period of Performance

4.0 Authorities and Instrument Type

5.0 Program Strategy and Operational Model

6.0 Proposal Format

7.0 Proposal Submission Instructions

8.0 Selection Process…………………

9.0 Research Security Requirements……………… ………………….…………13

10.0 Agency Contacts

1.0 Purpose and Background

1.1 Mission

This solicitation seeks to select (i) an Ecosystem Coordinator and (ii) Expert Performer Teams to constitute and perform activities of the Ecosystem for Low-dimensional Electronics:

Growth, Assembly, Nanoelectronics, and Translation (ELEGANT). ELEGANT's mission is to translate Low-D semiconductor technologies from laboratory demonstrations into industrially viable platforms that U.S. microelectronics manufacturers can qualify, fabricate, and deploy.

Success in this translation is essential to restoring U.S. leadership in advanced microelectronics and will enable next-generation capabilities in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, advanced communications and other key technology areas critical to national security and the nation’s overall economic competitiveness.

1.2 Technology Challenge

Moore's Law — the defining principle driving microelectronics innovation for nearly six decades

— has become increasingly difficult to sustain as silicon-based transistor scaling approaches its fundamental physical limits. The result is a worsening trade-off — ever-greater investment yielding ever-smaller returns in power, performance, area, and cost, the key microelectronics metrics collectively known as PPAC.

The inability to further reduce silicon channel dimensions below 5 nanometers without severe performance degradation presents an existential challenge to continued integrated circuit advancement that advanced patterning technologies cannot alone overcome. State-of-the-art architectures, including gate-all-around field-effect transistors (GAA-FETs), provide improved electrostatic control. However, the resulting gains in transistor scaling have become incremental and come at a steep price: increasingly complex process integration, tighter manufacturing tolerances, additional patterning and fabrication steps, and rapidly escalating development and production costs.

Complementary FET (CFET) architectures — which vertically stack an n-type and a p-type transistor directly on top of one another — represent the next major scaling step on current industry roadmaps. Because the two device layers differ in processing requirements, they cannot simply be duplicated: each layer requires distinct processing steps compatible with the thermal and mechanical constraints imposed by the other. As a result, CFET fabrication compounds the integration challenges of GAA-FETs — precise layer control, tight overlay tolerances, and advanced patterning — while adding requirements specific to vertical integration, including sequential layer formation, constrained thermal budgets to avoid degrading previously fabricated layers, increased interconnect complexity, and yield management across multiple active tiers.

Even if these challenges are overcome, no viable silicon-based technology has been identified to sustain continued scaling beyond CFET since silicon itself is the fundamental limiting factor.

While GAA-FETs and CFETs may extend silicon CMOS scaling for a few additional technology generations, neither is expected to restore the historic improvements in power-performance-area-cost (PPAC) that fueled Moore's Law. Consequently, future advances in PPAC and semiconductor economics will likely require convergence on a transformative new material system and device paradigm. Converging on a specific approach — and building a focused ecosystem, technology roadmap, and manufacturing strategy around it — is as important as the solution itself.

1.3 Opportunity: Low-Dimensional Quantum-Confined Materials

Low-dimensional materials, including atomically thin 2D materials (like transition metal dichalcogenides) and nanotube-based 1D materials (like carbon nanotubes) — represent the most credible pathway for transistor scaling. These materials can be built into vertical transistors in which the current flows through a layer that can be as thin as a single molecule. In addition to allowing transistors to be smaller, these thin layers also let the transistors switch on and off more effectively, thereby improving performance.

At the small geometries enabled by low-D materials, electrons are confined by quantum mechanics, fundamentally altering their electrical behavior in ways not achievable in bulk silicon. TMDs offer a naturally passivated surface free of dangling bonds, strong electrostatic gate control, and compatibility with van der Waals heterostructure integration, making them well-suited for highly dense, layered device architectures including three-dimensional monolithic heterogeneous integration. Carbon nanotubes offer near-ballistic electron transport, ultra-high carrier mobilities, and reduced phonon and impurity scattering, making them well-suited for high-speed, low-power switching and electrical interconnects.

Together, these materials offer the potential for sharper transistor switching, reduced power dissipation, and improved carrier transport.

1.4 The Need for Coordination and Urgency

Current U.S. investment in Low-D technologies is fragmented. Coordination is required to bridge the gap between laboratory demonstrations and industrially relevant advanced-node technology platforms. Although many of the technology benefits of low-dimensional semiconductors have been individually demonstrated in research laboratories, translating advancements to production environments will require coordinated advances across materials engineering and quality; device design; EDA; scalable process integration — including equipment, metrology, and reliability; and end-to-end demonstrations involving the design and fabrication of complete chips that are convincing to industry adopters. An ecosystem-based approach culminating in the demonstration of an integrated technology stack is essential to accelerating this translation.

Isolated advances in materials, devices, manufacturing, or circuit design must be coordinated to achieve transformative results; progress in semiconductors is interdependent.

The search for new materials and devices is not occurring in a vacuum, and the window for establishing leadership is quickly narrowing. China has signaled a clear strategic intent to invest heavily in low-dimensional materials research as a pathway to bypass the silicon manufacturing constraints that current export controls impose. Delay in establishing a coordinated national strategy risks ceding leadership in microelectronic to China.

1.5 Program Objectives

ELEGANT is a translational program, not a research program. Every activity funded under ELEGANT must be in service of an industry-adoptable Translational Endpoint — the industry-adoptable deliverable against which performers are selected and held accountable. Strong and sustained industry participation is a central program requirement.

Expert Performer Teams are organized around five Translation Themes, each defined by a specific Translational Endpoint rather than a technical discipline, as follows:

• Theme 1: Manufacturable Materials Platform;

• Theme 2: Process Technology and Process Design Kit (PDK);

• Theme 3: Device, Circuit and Full-Chip Demonstration;

• Theme 4: Manufacturing Readiness and Transition; and

• Theme 5: AI-Enabled Acceleration.

The Ecosystem Coordinator will be accountable for the effective support and coordination of the ELEGANT ecosystem, including supporting NSF oversight, facilitating collaboration among Expert Performer Teams, and ensuring progress toward meeting program objectives and Translational Endpoints throughout the period of performance.

The objective of ELEGANT is to de-risk the technology to the point where industry can make a timely, credible, evidence-based commitment to its adoption. The program's success will be defined by the achievement of demonstrated industrial adoption readiness criteria:quantitative, independently verified states of technical, commercial, supply chain, and Intellectual Property (IP) readiness sufficient to justify an industry decision to initiate a formal qualification program for Low-D semiconductor technologies at a specific advanced microelectronics process node.

The criteria will be established through pre-award negotiation, documented in the initial Annual Project Plan (APP) for each awardee, and refined as appropriate through subsequent APPs.

2.0 Eligibility

This solicitation is open to two categories of offerors: (i) organizations proposing to serve as the Ecosystem Coordinator (see Section 5.3); and (ii) organizations proposing to serve as an Expert Performer Team within one or more of the five Translation Themes (see Section 5.2).

An organization may submit a proposal as Ecosystem Coordinator or as an Expert Performer Team, but not both. All offerors must be U.S.-based incorporated entities — institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations, nonprofit organizations, or formally established consortia of such entities. All proposing organizations must be actively registered in SAM (www.sam.gov) prior to submitting a proposal.

Each proposal must identify a Principal Director, affiliated with and a full-time employee of the lead organization, who will be responsible for a resulting award. Proposals may also include a Co-Principal Director, who, must also be a full-time employee of the proposing organization.

Individuals may only be named as Principal Director or Co-Principal Director on one proposal.

Offerors should propose a team structure that assembles the expertise necessary to achieve their respective Translational Endpoints. Teams may include sub-awardees from U.S.-based: IHEs;

for-profit companies; nonprofits; national laboratories; and/or FFRDCs. Foreign sub-awardees are not permitted. Prime awardees must retain substantive technical responsibility. Sub-awardees may participate on multiple proposals (Note: justification should be provided for participation in multiple proposals). Organizations wishing to collaborate must do so through a prime awardee/sub-awardee structure; NSF will not issue separate OT Agreements to sub-awardees.

3.0 Expected Award Amounts and Period of Performance

3.1 Total Program Budget and Theme Allocations

Anticipated NSF funding for the program is up to $150 million over the six-year Government-funded period of performance, subject to availability of funds. Planning estimates for the theme allocations are shown in the table below. Actual phase-level funding will be established through Annual Project Plans (APPs) and is subject to NSF approval and availability of funds.

Theme 6-Year Total Theme 1 — Manufacturable Materials Platform $43M Theme 2 — Process Technology & PDK $35M Theme 3 — Device, Circuit & Full-Chip Demonstration

$42M

Theme 4 — Manufacturing Readiness & Transition

$12M

Theme 5 — AI-Enabled Acceleration $6M Ecosystem Coordinator $12M

TOTAL NSF TIP FUNDING $150M

NSF may reallocate savings from down-selected approaches within or across Themes. Additional funding may be added to the program during the period of performance. NSF may also pursue funding through interagency agreements, transfers, or coordinated investments from other Federal departments and agencies, subject to applicable interagency agreements.

3.2 Period of Performance and Program Phases

http://www.sam.gov/

ELEGANT will consist of three successive Government-funded phases, each anticipated to span 24 months. NSF encourages proposals that present a credible plan for accelerating progress and may adjust phase durations based on technical readiness and milestone achievement.

Because genuine technical uncertainty exists regarding the most effective technical approaches, the early phase(s) of ELEGANT may support competing Theme-specific approaches. Down-selections will be based on quantitative, industry-informed Go/No-Go criteria established during award negotiations and documented in each awardee's initial APP and refined through the APP process as technical understanding and program results mature.

Phase transitions are contingent on Go/No-Go determinations, which will be made solely at NSF’s discretion. Funding beyond any decision gate is not guaranteed and NSF reserves the right to continue, modify, reduce, or terminate any award. NSF may re-compete any award or phase where re-competition would better serve program objectives. In addition to technical performance, NSF will consider commercialization strategy, industry engagement, ecosystem contributions, and other programmatic factors consistent with the goals of ELEGANT.

Following the Government-funded period of performance, ELEGANT anticipates a Phase 4 transition in which industry assumes primary funding responsibility for production ramp and derivative node development; NSF's role in Phase 4 is anticipated to be advisory only. Industry assumption of Phase 4 funding responsibility is a leading indicator of translation success.

Funded work shall overwhelmingly be performed in the United States, with use of domestic fabrication, characterization, and testing infrastructure to the maximum extent practicable.

4.0 Authorities and Instrument Type

4.1 Authorizing Authorities

This solicitation is issued pursuant to:

• 42 U.S.C. § 19116, pursuant to which the NSF Director, or designee, may provide awards in the form of Other Transactions in carrying out activities of NSF's Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate.

• 15 U.S.C. § 4656(c), pursuant to which NSF is authorized to engage in activities supporting the development and advancement of semiconductor and microelectronics technologies critical to U.S. economic and national security interests.

4.2 OT Agreement Structure, Performance Management, and Down-Selection NSF anticipates issuing separate Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) — statutory agreement mechanisms that are neither FAR procurement contracts nor traditional financial assistance awards — to the selected Ecosystem Coordinator and to each selected Expert Performer Team.

OTAs provides the flexibility to establish milestone-based performance requirements, execute rapid modifications as technologies evolve, and down-select performers not demonstrating viable technical or commercial pathways forward. Each OTA creates a direct legal and performance relationship between NSF and each awardee. ELEGANT OT Agreements are not subject to the Contract Disputes Act; termination, dispute resolution, and other standard agreement terms will be incorporated into each OTA and made available to offerors upon request.

Sub-award terms, including flow-down requirements, prior approval procedures, and research security obligations, will be incorporated into each OTA. Additional sub-awardees proposed after award require NSF Agreement Officer prior written approval.

NSF will provide overall program management and oversight of ELEGANT. The NSF Agreement Officer is the only individual authorized to issue binding contractual direction or modify an OTA. The NSF Program Director, working with the Agreement Officer, will serve as the management authority for all program matters. Each awarded OTA will operate through APPs, which establish annual milestones, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), deliverables, and milestone payments. APPs are effective only upon written approval by the Agreement Officer .

5.0 Program Strategy and Operational Model

5.1 Program Design

ELEGANT's objective is translation, not research. The program is structured around five Translation Themes, each defined by a specific industry-adoptable Translational Endpoint — a deliverable that industry can evaluate, adopt, and invest in. Technical disciplines (e.g., materials synthesis, metrology, process development, devices and circuits) are inputs that serve the Themes, not standalone program elements. This design has three important consequences:

• Accountability is outcome-based. Teams are accountable for achieving their Theme's Translational Endpoint, not for producing discipline-specific research outputs. A materials synthesis team succeeds when its wafers meet foundry qualification entry criteria — not when it publishes papers on TMD growth alone.

• Integration is structural. Cross-team coordination is built-in — a team cannot achieve Theme 2's PDK deliverable without materials from Theme 1 & device inputs from Theme 3.

• Go/No-Go gates have industry-adoption criteria. Each gate assesses a specific translational milestone (e.g., foundry entry criteria, PDK release, 10X PPAC) validated by industry — rather than subjective assessments of research progress. The program's decision logic is transparent to industry stakeholders and NSF.

Additional information on the Themes, Translational Endpoints and Go/No-Go criteria can be found in the Elegant program description at Elegant Additional Materials 9 17 2026 Final (clean version).docx, which is attached to the SAM.gov posting.

5.2 Expert Performer Teams

Expert Performer Teams, selected through the competitive process in Section 8.0, execute the technical translation activities of each Theme. Teams conduct translational R&D, deliver against program milestones, maintain technical documentation, and coordinate with NSF and the

Ecosystem Coordinator on knowledge sharing, milestone tracking, and cross-theme alignment.

NSF may select multiple Teams within a single Theme, allowing the collective effort to cover the full breadth of a Theme while fielding competing technical approaches against one another where parallel investment in a Theme is justified. Teams will work towards the following endpoints:

Theme 1 - Manufacturable Materials Platform: Demonstration of Low-D semiconductor materials synthesized on 300 mm wafers, meeting industry-defined specifications sufficient for foundry process-qualification entrywith industry-suitable equipment for synthesis and metrology (validated by two or more industry partners) on a pathway to production readiness.

Theme 2 - Process Technology & PDK: A documented, reproducible process steps and flow (and assocated equipment) and PDK(s) released to at least two independent industry partners and validated as sufficient for circuit-level design and evaluation of Low-D semiconductor devices.

Theme 3 - Device, Circuit and Full-Chip Demonstration: Functional full-chip level prototypes demonstrating at least a 10X PPAC improvement relative to a relevant CMOS technology node, validated by at least two independent industry partners. This is ELEGANT's primary point for industrial adoption readiness.

Theme 4 - Manufacturing Readiness & Transition: A manufacturing readiness capability — comprising a 300 mm tool qualification roadmap, cost and yield model, foundation for a domestic supply chain, and minimal packaging solution — providing the information industry needs to make a capital investment decision in Low-D semiconductor technology validated by at least two industry partners.

Theme 5 - AI-Enabled Acceleration: A shared AI/ML platform demonstrating reduction in time-to-result across at least three of Themes 1–4, with validated closed-loop learning deployed in at least one materials synthesis and process development workflow by end of Phase 2.

5.3 ELEGANT Ecosystem Coordinator

The Ecosystem Coordinator will be selected through the competitive process described in Section 8.0. They are expected to employ technical subject matter experts (SMEs) with substantial industry experience in transitioning advanced semiconductor technologies from R&D to manufacturing and commercial production. The Coordinator and SMEs support rather than direct the Expert Performer Team, which remain responsible for their respective deliverables.

The Ecosystem Coordinator is responsible for the following program activities:

• Pollinator SMEs, who share information across Expert Performer Teams and Themes.

• Shepherd SMEs, who ensure Expert Performer Teams meet their execution schedules.

• Technology Roadmapping.

• Standards Development.

• Intellectual Property (IP) Framework Administration.

• Industry Roundtable Secretariat.

Translation Endpoint. By program end: the technology roadmap is industry-validated;

ELEGANT-originated standards contributions are published or in formal ballot at SEMI, IEEE, or equivalent bodies; the IP framework is operating with executed licenses and a designated post-program administrator; and a successor structure with committed industry participation carries coordination functions forward without further NSF funding.

Performance and progress towards the endpoint will be formally reviewed at each Go/No-Go review against the KPIs and milestone-based payment schedule established in the Ecosystem Coordinator's APP. NSF may, at its sole discretion, continue, restructure, reduce, or recompete the Ecosystem Coordinator function based on each review's results.

Additional information on the Ecosystem Coordinator activities and Go/No-Go criteria can be found in the Elegant program description at Elegant Additional Materials 9 17 2026 FInal (clean version).docx, which is attached to the SAM.gov posting.

5.4 ELEGANT Industry Roundtable

NSF may establish an ELEGANT Industry Roundtable to provide an independent perspective on program progress, adoption requirements, and technology transition opportunities. Its input will be submitted to the NSF Program Director and NSF retains sole authority over all program decisions. NSF will seek members with senior technical or commercial expertise drawn from the domestic semiconductor industry. The Ecosystem Coordinator will provide secretariat support but will not control or influence the Roundtable's agenda or deliberations.

5.5 ELEGANT IP Licensing Framework

ELEGANT-generated IP will be governed by an IP Framework, incorporated into each OT Agreement, that will reflect the following principles: (i) awardee ownership of inventions; (ii) Government purpose rights reserved to NSF; (iii) a domestic commercialization preference, that encourages or requires awardees to pursue commercialization and manufacturing of program-generated IP within the United States; (iv) restrictions on transfer of program-generated IP to foreign entities; and (v) protection of Background IP, which remains the property of its owner.

Unless specified otherwise, the Bayh-Dole Act (35 U.S.C. §§ 200–212) will not apply to these NSF OTs. The Framework is subject to refinement over the period of performance .

5.6 Coordination with Complementary Federal Programs

Expert Performer Teams and the Ecosystem Coordinator will coordinate with complementary Federal programs — including NSF FuSe I and II, NSF 2DCC, DARPA JUMP, DoW Microelectronics Commons, the CHIPS R&D Office, and the Department of Energy — to leverage existing investments and avoid duplication.

6.0 Proposal Format

Proposals shall be in 12-point font on letter-sized pages with 1" margins, submitted as a single PDF. Ecosystem Coordinator proposals shall not exceed 20 single-sided pages and Expert Perform Team Proposals shall not exceed 25 pages, exclusive of the title page and appendices.

https://nsf-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/personal/7790706742_nsf_gov/Documents/ELEGANT%20OTASO/ELEGANT%20OTASO%20FINAL%209%2017%202026/Elegant%20Additional%20Materials%209%2017%202026%20FInal%20(clean%20version).docx?d=w6113108b894c4c10adfd2e2d67a98b09&csf=1&web=1&e=pcYX9U https://nsf-my.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/personal/7790706742_nsf_gov/Documents/ELEGANT%20OTASO/ELEGANT%20OTASO%20FINAL%209%2017%202026/Elegant%20Additional%20Materials%209%2017%202026%20FInal%20(clean%20version).docx?d=w6113108b894c4c10adfd2e2d67a98b09&csf=1&web=1&e=pcYX9U

An organization may submit separate proposals for different Themes. Proposals not meeting these requirements may be rejected without review.

6.1 Common Elements

6.1.1 Title Page (one page; excluded from page limit). Organization name, UEI number, point of contact; proposed Principal Director and any Co-Principal Directors; and major proposed sub-awardees whose anticipated sub-award value exceeds 10 percent of the total proposed budget ("Major Sub-Awardees"), with organization name, UEI, Principal Investigator or equivalent, and a one-sentence role description for each. This page must identify the target Translation Theme(s) or that the proposal is for the Ecosystem Coordinator role.

6.1.2 Appendix A: Budget and Justification (excluded from page limit). A 6-year budget broken out by annual performance period with sub-totals for each 2-year phase, including a detailed Year 1 milestone payment structure with associated KPIs and performance-based metrics, and planning-level budget estimates, KPIs and metrics for Years 2–6. Costs shall be presented at the total team level, with each Major Sub-Awardee's costs separately identified and justified. The KPI, metrics and milestone payment structure shall be tied to the Coordination and Support Plan (for Coordinator role) or theTranslation Strategy and Approach (for Expert roles), including an explicit mapping of proposed KPIs to the applicable Go/No-Go milestone(s). Expert Team budgets should anticipate that competing approaches and Teams may be funded in phase 1 (especially within Themes 1 and 3) and describe how funding evolves subsequent to Phase 1 Go/NoGo down-selection decisions. If the team is proposing industry cost-share contributions, identify each contribution separately, including its form, anticipated value, and applicable phase.

6.1.3 Appendix B: CVs and Current and Pending Support (excluded from page limit). For research security purposes all senior and key personnel must submit CVs and current and pending support disclosures and foreign connection disclosures on NSF-approved forms.

6.1.4 Appendix C: IP and Data Management Plan (excluded from page limit). Include a description of pre-existing IP licensing relationships relevant to ELEGANT.

6.1.5 Appendix D: Letters of Commitment (excluded from page limit). Signed one-page letters from parties (other than the proposer and sub-awardees) who are contributing meaningful value to the effort — such as providing in-kind resources, technical expertise, facility or equipment access, or data. Include a description of the party's intended role.

6.2 Ecosystem Coordinator Specific Elements

6.2.1 Coordination and Support Plan. Proposed approach to cross-theme technical integration, program-wide milestone tracking, and program coordination, including: Pollinator and Shepherd recruitment, deployment, and management; roadmap development; IP management; standards engagement; and ELEGANT Industry Secretariat support. The plan should be aligned with and cross-reference the milestones, KPIs and metrics in Appendix A.

6.2.2 Experience and Qualifications. Organizational and personnel experience in:

semiconductor roadmapping, including industry alignment; large-scale R&D program coordination; advanced microelectronics; IP management, licensing, and technology transfer;

standards and roadmap development; and multi-stakeholder technology translation programs.

6.2.3 Industry Relationships. Existing relationships with the domestic semiconductor ecosystem — manufacturers, equipment suppliers, materials suppliers, EDA vendors, and standards bodies — relevant to ELEGANT's coordination and transition objectives.

6.2.4 Conflicts of Interest. NSF will assess conflicts of interest during negotiation and work with performers to develop a plan to mitigate such conflicts.

6.3 Expert Performer Team Specific Elements

6.3.1 Translation Strategy and Approach. Proposed approach to achieving the target Theme's Translational Endpoint, including: technical approach and innovations; anticipated outcomes at the end of each Phase; strategy for achieving Go/No-Go milestone(s); approach to integrating with adjacent Teams and Themes; and, for Themes subject to parallel investment, explanation of why the proposed approach is most likely to survive down-selection. The plan should be aligned with and cross-reference the milestones, KPIs and metrics in Appendix A.

6.3.2 Experience and Qualifications. Organizational and personnel experience in the specific technical domain of the target Theme; lab-to-fab translation in semiconductor or advanced materials; industry collaboration; and milestone-driven execution of large R&D programs.

6.3.3 Industry Partnerships. Description of the team's strategy for developing and sustaining partnerships, including organizations such as peers, suppliers, customers, etc. that have already expressed interest in collaborating, the nature of their anticipated involvement, and the plan for deepening engagement as program results mature. Proposals should describe how the team will attract and formalize partnerships in advance of Go/No-Go 1 and 2.

6.3.4 Workforce Development. Anticipated workforce gaps and capability needs in the target Theme's domain, and proposed strategies for addressing them, including integration of students, trainees, early-career researchers, and technical staff.

7.0 Proposal Submission Instructions

Proposals may not be accepted after 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 18, 2026 and must be submitted as a single PDF file to pkbreen@nsf.gov with the subject line: NSF ELEGANT Proposal Submission — [Ecosystem Coordinator] or [Expert Performer Team — Theme Name], as applicable. Proposals must comply with all requirements in Sections 2 and 6. Proposal materials will be treated as selection-sensitive and access limited to individuals involved in the evaluation process.

Questions must be submitted to pkbreen@nsf.gov by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on October 15, 2026, with the subject line: NSF ELEGANT Solicitation Question. NSF will issue written responses to questions and may issue solicitation amendments. Oral communications will not be binding.

8.0 Selection Process

8.1 Overview and Evaluation

NSF will conduct two parallel competitive selection processes pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 19116 for: (i) the Ecosystem Coordinator; and (ii) Expert Performer Teams within each of the five Translation Themes. These selections are not FAR procurement contracts and are not subject to bid protest jurisdiction of the GAO or Court of Federal Claims. NSF will notify all unsuccessful offerors in writing and will offer a debrief to offerors requesting one within 15 days of notification. NSF may select multiple Expert Performer Teams within a single Theme where competing technical approaches justify parallel investment. Following evaluation, NSF will negotiate an OT Agreement with the highest-rated offeror(s); if mutually agreeable terms cannot be reached, NSF will negotiate with the next highest-rated offeror(s). NSF reserves the right to cancel this solicitation, reject all proposals, make no award, or adjust the number of awards within any Theme based on the quality of proposals received and available funding, at any time without obligation or liability to any offeror.

NSF will conduct a compliance review of proposals to confirm eligibility and completeness in accordance with Sections 2 and 6. Compliant proposals will be evaluated on a highest merit basis against the criteria in Section 8.2 or 8.3, using adjectival ratings (Outstanding, Good, Acceptable, Marginal, Unacceptable) for each criterion. The first-listed criterion in each section carries the greatest weight; remaining criteria are in approximate descending order of weight. No numerical scores will be assigned or disclosed. Price reasonableness is evaluated separately and will not be traded against technical merit except where proposals are otherwise technically equivalent.

Oral Presentation: NSF may invite a subset of offerors to participate in oral presentations and will provide the format and guidelines no less than 5 business days in advance. Recording by offerors is strictly prohibited. NSF may invite external reviewers to participate.

Site Visit: NSF may conduct site visits to validate and assess: the offeror's technical, organizational, and execution capabilities; and their facilities, infrastructure, and/or management systems. NSF may invite external reviewers to participate.

8.2 Evaluation Criteria — Ecosystem Coordinator

8.2.1 Coordination and Management Approach (highest weight). Credibility, specificity, and operational readiness to address cross-theme technical integration and program coordination, including the quality of the proposed Pollinator and Shepherd model.

8.2.2 Translation Strategy and Credibility. Soundness, specificity, and credibility of the proposed approach to achieve the Translational Endpoint and Go/No-Go milestone(s). Proposals will be evaluated with an emphasis on demonstrated understanding of what industry requires and how the proposed work delivers it.

8.2.3 Experience and Qualifications. Organizational and personnel experience in large-scale R&D program coordination, advanced microelectronics, IP management, roadmap activities and standards development. The Principal Director and any Co-Principal Directors must demonstrate relevant technical expertise and standing within the semiconductor community. Experience with Other Transaction Agreements at the organizational level is desirable. Quality and breadth of existing industry relationships relevant to ELEGANT's coordination and technology transition objectives.

8.2.4 Industry Roundtable Secretariat Support. Credibility and operational readiness of the offeror's proposed approach to supporting the ELEGANT Advisory Secretariat Roundtable — including maintaining appropriate separation of the Roundtable's independent deliberations.

8.2.5 Price Reasonableness. Reasonableness and credibility of the milestones & budget.

8.3 Evaluation Criteria — Expert Performer Teams

8.3.1 Translation Strategy and Credibility (highest weight). See 8.2.2. Proposals will be evaluated on translational credibility rather than research ambition. Proposals will also be evaluated on the likelihood that the proposed approach will meet Phase 1 Go/No-Go specifications and/or survive down-selection.

8.3.2 Experience and Qualifications. Organizational and personnel experience in the specific technical domain of the target Theme, lab-to-fab translation, and milestone-driven R&D program management. Criteria in 8.2.3 that are related to the Principal Director and any Co-Principal Directors and OTAs are also applicable.

8.3.3 Phase-Level Execution Realism. Credibility and internal consistency of the proposed phase milestones and spend plan, including realistic treatment of parallel-track costs in Phases 1– 2 and post-down-selection intensification for Themes subject to parallel investment.

8.3.4 Cross-Theme Integration Approach. Clarity and credibility of how the team's activities will integrate with adjacent Themes and support the Theme 3 system-level demonstration(s).

8.3.5 Industry Participation. Quality and credibility of the proposed industry engagement strategy, including: the relevance of identified or prospective industry partners to the Theme's Translational Endpoint; the realism of the plan for deepening industry commitment as program results mature; and the team's own role within the industry including its industry relationships and track record. Proposals identifying named partners with documented expressions of interest will be considered stronger than proposals describing industry engagement in general terms.

8.3.6 Price Reasonableness. See 8.2.5.

9.0 Research Security Requirements

In compliance with the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, Section 10636 (person or entity of concern prohibition) (42 U.S.C. 19235) and Section 10632 (malign foreign talent program prohibition) (42 U.S.C. § 19232), the following are not eligible to serve as ELEGANT Ecosystem Coordinator or Expert Performer Teams or otherwise participate under this solicitation:

U.S. Proscribed Party Lists

• U.S. Department of War o Sec. 1260H of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY2021 o Sec. 1286 of the NDAA for FY2019, as amended

• U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security:

o Entity List o Military End-User Entities o Denied Persons

• U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control:

o Annex of Executive Order 14032 o Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies

• U.S. Department of State:

o Debarred Parties https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.federalregister.gov%2Fdocuments%2Fsearch%3Fconditions%255Bsearch_type_id%255D%3D3%26conditions%255Bterm%255D%3D1260H&data=05%7C02%7Cmahuff%40nsf.gov%7C273e03b938cc464a97ff08defa4785a2%7C4939bd9435634244904d6e68ffc9b8cf%7C0%7C0%7C639223382310459370%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2BsCZiJsllcvCbF0XJxdGiRgE6AqxA5d5IvZmq%2FsEmy8%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbasicresearch.defense.gov%2FPrograms%2FAcademic-Research-Security%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cmahuff%40nsf.gov%7C273e03b938cc464a97ff08defa4785a2%7C4939bd9435634244904d6e68ffc9b8cf%7C0%7C0%7C639223382310494157%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Wex5ZV0txfIQdKB%2BsWkVpB4mkJwqn6iEW341q9ZuoSY%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecfr.gov%2Fcurrent%2Ftitle-15%2Fsubtitle-B%2Fchapter-VII%2Fsubchapter-C%2Fpart-744%23Supplement-No.-4-to-Part-744&data=05%7C02%7Cmahuff%40nsf.gov%7C273e03b938cc464a97ff08defa4785a2%7C4939bd9435634244904d6e68ffc9b8cf%7C0%7C0%7C639223382310514940%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Zyc%2FwOV2hXd6asBP1z9KtI%2FVCq0aC2nJi2VfBHl6hz0%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecfr.gov%2Fcurrent%2Ftitle-15%2Fsubtitle-B%2Fchapter-VII%2Fsubchapter-C%2Fpart-744%2Fappendix-Supplement%2520No.%25207%2520to%2520Part%2520744&data=05%7C02%7Cmahuff%40nsf.gov%7C273e03b938cc464a97ff08defa4785a2%7C4939bd9435634244904d6e68ffc9b8cf%7C0%7C0%7C639223382310533725%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=rrdWjYmNRfJrYAlvFclOOIzhjq7wEK4Uw3iNbQW%2FExM%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bis.gov%2Flicensing%2Fend-user-guidance%2Fdenied-persons-list-dpl&data=05%7C02%7Cmahuff%40nsf.gov%7C273e03b938cc464a97ff08defa4785a2%7C4939bd9435634244904d6e68ffc9b8cf%7C0%7C0%7C639223382310552500%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=HGFlTdAKzkxGSVxlHTF%2FsmJVDLRUHTM9uif6yxRdgCY%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fofac.treasury.gov%2Fmedia%2F99111%2Fdownload%3Finline&data=05%7C02%7Cmahuff%40nsf.gov%7C273e03b938cc464a97ff08defa4785a2%7C4939bd9435634244904d6e68ffc9b8cf%7C0%7C0%7C639223382310571938%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=0EclcsuCf91V4nwi%2BBXvPRL6%2B4CKKDRbT5pkmboD6K8%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.treasury.gov%2Fofac%2Fdownloads%2Fccmc%2Fnscmiclist.pdf&data=05%7C02%7Cmahuff%40nsf.gov%7C273e03b938cc464a97ff08defa4785a2%7C4939bd9435634244904d6e68ffc9b8cf%7C0%7C0%7C639223382310597732%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=g81FqkFu01vqAoQ%2BCSFoafxXBHe0uzikI95Uybg1hJw%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdeccspmddtc.servicenowservices.com%2Fddtc_public%3Fid%3Dddtc_kb_article_page%26sys_id%3Dc22d1833dbb8d300d0a370131f9619f0&data=05%7C02%7Cmahuff%40nsf.gov%7C273e03b938cc464a97ff08defa4785a2%7C4939bd9435634244904d6e68ffc9b8cf%7C0%7C0%7C639223382310621771%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2B1F9PjD1Rei%2F8s9JPE7c5CMfPSK1wJ6%2F4dz20898hDY%3D&reserved=0 o Nonproliferation Sanctions

• U.S. Federal Communications Commission:

o Equipment and Services Covered by Section 2 of The Secure Networks Act

• U.S. Department of Homeland Security:

o UFLPA Entity List

• U.S. Customs and Border Protection:

o Withhold Release Orders & Findings list

• Any “foreign entities of concern” as defined in section 10638(3) of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which includes, among others, entities owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of the government of the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, the People’s Republic of China, the Russian Federation, or the Islamic Republic of Iran.

• Individuals who are a party to a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program. The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 defines a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program as any program, position, or activity that is sponsored by a foreign country of concern that includes compensation in exchange for activities that may violate research security regulations. See full definition of a Malign Foreign Talent Recruitment Program here.

Initial and annual certifications of compliance with these research security requirements, and any additional requirements put into place by NSF or by law, may be required for all Senior/Key Personnel.

NSF requires research security training certifications from OT contractors identified as senior/key personnel. The condensed RST module is designed to meet the government-wide RST requirement in Section 10634 of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 (42 U.S.C. § 19234).

10.0 Agency Contacts

NSF Program Director: Michael Huff, Ph.D. TIP Directorate Email: mahuff@nsf.gov

Agreement Officer: Patrick Breen, National Science Foundation Email: pkbreen@nsf.gov https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.state.gov%2Fbureau-of-arms-control-and-nonproliferation%2Fnonproliferation-sanctions&data=05%7C02%7Cmahuff%40nsf.gov%7C273e03b938cc464a97ff08defa4785a2%7C4939bd9435634244904d6e68ffc9b8cf%7C0%7C0%7C639223382310640356%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=1hV5y9tlhduGrSKmdVXfBVRXJJmftKmIWhAdVDV4oF4%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fcc.gov%2Fsupplychain%2Fcoveredlist&data=05%7C02%7Cmahuff%40nsf.gov%7C273e03b938cc464a97ff08defa4785a2%7C4939bd9435634244904d6e68ffc9b8cf%7C0%7C0%7C639223382310658857%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=2nzXdudhVZh04IBCHjlFlMwt9RiNDy%2BMkhm3b7tJ8jo%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dhs.gov%2Fuflpa-entity-list&data=05%7C02%7Cmahuff%40nsf.gov%7C273e03b938cc464a97ff08defa4785a2%7C4939bd9435634244904d6e68ffc9b8cf%7C0%7C0%7C639223382310676857%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=bfKS6cCsQhnR%2FeSGBbVQC3fPQtzdc4p3JjEvKPBhQPc%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbp.gov%2Fdocument%2Fstats%2Fwithhold-release-orders-findings&data=05%7C02%7Cmahuff%40nsf.gov%7C273e03b938cc464a97ff08defa4785a2%7C4939bd9435634244904d6e68ffc9b8cf%7C0%7C0%7C639223382310694621%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=szJ6ZtjPLyzVGRzGGJwEk4BaXmUlXnfyKnGjYPGROJA%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nsf.gov%2Fpolicies%2Fpappg%2F24-1%23definitions&data=05%7C02%7Cmahuff%40nsf.gov%7C273e03b938cc464a97ff08defa4785a2%7C4939bd9435634244904d6e68ffc9b8cf%7C0%7C0%7C639223382310712688%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=jFoTquvDF6f9tLpLGcbBvqqzWkXMpmBz2PieLM2mUmg%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.secure-center.org%2Fctm&data=05%7C02%7Cmahuff%40nsf.gov%7C273e03b938cc464a97ff08defa4785a2%7C4939bd9435634244904d6e68ffc9b8cf%7C0%7C0%7C639223382310730563%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=XBU%2Ft2NUCnkttthkf8A4qOeruWOePUwtibAIgVWp9CQ%3D&reserved=0