NSF IUCRC Smart Vehicle Concepts Center

The Smart Vehicle Concepts Center (SVC) was launched in 2007 as a National Science Foundation Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC). The IUCRC Program was established to foster long-term collaborations between the federal government, academia, and industry in order to address the investment barriers that often disrupt the transition from scientific research to applied technologies. While the NSF provides the procedural and financial framework necessary to operate an IUCRC, industry partners engage in sponsored research projects in a pre-competitive mode, focusing on research areas of common interest among members. More details on the NSF IUCRC Program can be found here.

SVC became a graduated Center in 2022 and continues to operate under the IUCRC model in terms of its financial and operational framework. As a graduated IUCRC, the Center is focused on: (i) conducting pre-competitive research on ground and air vehicles with an emphasis on smart materials and emerging vehicle technologies; (ii) building an unmatched base of research, engineering education, and technology transfer with emphasis on improved vehicle performance, structural lightweighting, electrification, and smart mobility; (iii) and preparing next-generation engineers with theoretical and experimental expertise relevant to auto and aero vehicles.

Benefits to member companies include direct say on research topics and project decisions; full access to research results and IP; research activities of common interest within and across the automotive and aerospace industries; engagement with faculty, staff researchers, and graduate students trained on industry-centric research projects; nominal indirect costs (10%); and lean administrative operations that involve minimal contracting hurdles.