FORT PIERCE — Indian River State College (IRSC)  is one of only 34 semifinalists for the inaugural National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines competition. The grant encourages innovation by creating robust partnership “engines” that positively affect the economy within a geographic region, address societal challenges, advance national competitiveness and create local, high-wage jobs across the country.

IRSC’s proposed BioDiscovery Coast Innovation Engine harmonizes agricultural, marine, medical and space research to generate a vibrant socio-economic ecosystem model for sustainable regional economic growth while improving human-environment interactions—on earth and beyond. The proposed NSF Engine will coalesce activities along the BioDiscovery Coast, a 400-mile stretch of Florida’s east coast from the Space Coast to the Florida Keys, but focused primarily on the Treasure Coast. Through its work, the region, the United States, and the world will reap social and economic benefits from leading humanity in a turn to anthropogenic activities that harmonize with their ecosystems.

IRSC is leading this effort in partnership with Cleveland Clinic Florida Research & Innovation Center, FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, FIU Center for Translational Sciences, AgroSource, USDA ARS and the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences School of Integrated Plant Science.

If selected as a finalist, the IRSC BioDiscovery Coast Innovation Engine could receive up to $160 million over 10 years. NSF anticipates announcing the final list of NSF Engines awards this fall, with each awardee initially receiving about $15 million for the first two years.

NSF initially received 188 concept outlines for NSF Engines. The BioDiscovery Coast Innovation Engine is one of only two proposals from Florida advancing to the semifinalist stage. IRSC is the only institution of higher educational in Florida designated as a lead institution for a project that made it to the semifinalist round.

“Indian River State College is thrilled to be a semifinalist for the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program,” said Dr. Anthony Dribben, Dean of the IRSC School of Science and Principal Investigator for the proposed BioDiscovery Coast Innovation Engine. “An outstanding collection of scientific partners joined us on this initial proposal that combines the marine, agricultural, and medical research environments unique to the Treasure Coast into a robust economic engine that drives research, innovation, and commercialization. We look forward to continued work and collaboration with them and others to engage in timely research to address some of our region’s environmental and medical challenges and opportunities and prepare the future workforce for jobs in these critical areas.”