Economic Development Administration

Description

Clusters – and specifically regional innovation clusters – represent an important concept for development practitioners aiming to promote the prosperity of their region. Unlike traditional clusters, regional innovation clusters represent not only the economic efficiencies that exist from the co-location of similar industries and suppliers, but also consist of the active networks of synergistic organizations that engage with various businesses within a particular industry sector, the regional assets that exist within the geographic region, and the nodes that are critical for supporting the innovation work of the industry sector, such as R&D centers, venture capitalists, universities and colleges, national labs, and networks of entrepreneurs. While the body of literature defining regional innovation clusters and discussing their impact on communities is prolific among academics, policy analysts, and national development organizations, this information has not been adequately translated and disseminated into an accessible and persuasive format to the people charged with promoting local economic prosperity. Recognizing this discontinuity, EDA solicits applications for an economic development research project aimed at developing a replicable method for identifying and mapping regional innovation clusters, providing resources on best practices, and providing recommendations on metrics for the evaluation of regional innovation clusters. Clusters – and specifically regional innovation clusters (RICs) – hold much promise for assisting local economic development specialists in developing comprehensive economic development strategies that can create jobs, spur business creation, and promote long-term economic prosperity. Unfortunately, while RICs have been widely discussed among policy circles, information on how to identify or support RICs has not been made widely available to front-line practitioners. To rectify this, EDA solicits applications from qualified researchers to accomplish the following: (a) Solicit Input from Practitioners and Policymakers, (b) Develop a Method for Identifying Regional Innovation Clusters, (c) Develop a National Map of Regional Innovation Clusters, (d) Create an Interactive Mapping Tool, (e) Feature Case Studies of Effective Regional Innovation Clusters, (f) Develop a Toolkit for Regions, (g) Identify Metrics for Success of Evaluating Regional Innovation Clusters, (h) Identify the Sustainability of the Project. Please see the full federal funding opportunity (FFO) announcement under "Full Announcement Link" below for more detailed information on each of the above-listed project tasks and the required scope of work.

Who can apply

• State governments
• County governments
• City or township governments
• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education)
• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than higher education)
• Private institutions of higher education
• For-profit organizations other than small businesses
• Others

Contact

Hillary Sherman-Zelenka
Hsherman@eda.doc.gov