Call for Policy Study Proposals, May 2026

Overview

Advanced technologies have been the foundation of modern economic growth. In the global geopolitical landscape, technology leadership has become the central element of economic security and influence. However, over the past decades, the globalization of free trade and industrial specialty development have decoupled upstream research and development from downstream volume production, weakening the ecosystem on which American companies depend to scale innovation into commercial fruition and societal prosperity.

This disconnect has impacted the Nation’s ability to seize technology leadership in critical industries and stifled the translation of technology innovation to commercial success. At the same time, it has allowed other countries, including competing, adversarial nations, to gain undue advantages over the United States in the growth of advanced technology for industrial and societal prosperity.

In response, the Technology Competitiveness and Industrial Policy Center (TCIP Center) aims to produce rigorous, data-driven policy papers and recommendations to arrest this trend. TCIP Center recognizes the need to take an ecosystem-building approach to achieve technology competitiveness and leadership. This entails integrating research and development (R&D), advanced production, supply chain resilience, competitive workforce development, aggressive global market access, and coordination of government policies to enable U.S. technology leadership.

Policy Study Topics of Interest

TCIP Center seeks to commission independent, high quality, scholarly research to raise the Nation’s technology competitiveness and to identify necessary industrial policies that foster ecosystem building and that scale up production of advanced and emerging technologies. This research will inform policymakers, industry leaders, and academic institutions on strategies to ensure long-term U.S. technology leadership and economic security through a robust set of interconnected technology ecosystems. The Center is especially interested in specific recommendations on how to improve the competitive posture and technology competitiveness of different sectors.

It is expected that policy studies commissioned under this solicitation will be for a duration of six (6) months from start to finish and during that time the study team will:

• Analyze the disconnect between U.S. innovation and scale-up production and recommend policies to bridge the gap.
• Study the effectiveness of current U.S. industrial policies to provide insights on approaches that could work better.
• Evaluate the impact of geopolitical dependencies on supply chains and propose strategies to build resilience without sacrificing economic efficiency.
• Investigate the challenges of production at scale in the U.S., identifying impediments and policy-based solutions.
• Assess the role of taxation, trade, workforce development, education, standards setting, and regulatory frameworks, among other industrial policy tools, in strengthening U.S. competitiveness.
• Provide policy recommendations grounded in the tools of U.S. policymaking and based on historical lessons, case studies, and economic analysis.

TCIP Center invites proposals on the following priority research topics as they pertain to the technology areas including but not limited to robotics, biomanufacturing, artificial intelligence, energy infrastructures, and workforce development:

• Collaborative R&D Ecosystems

• • • How can we connect lab to fab by building up a cohesive and effective R&D ecosystem?
    • How can we collaborate with friendly nations to expand pre-competitive R&D?
    • How can an effective supply chain ecosystem contribute to reducing the manufacturing cost of a new technology?
    • How would ecosystem development improve the effectiveness of the manufacturing supply chain in the U.S.?
    • What is the cost gap between the U.S. and the best in the world, and why?
    • How can we strike a competitive balance between the productivity and the social cost of the U.S. labor force?

• From R&D to Advanced Production

• • • What is a new strategy for emerging and fundamental technology R&D in the U.S.?
    • Is the leadership of technology R&D in public institutions diminishing in the U.S.? How do we recover its leadership role, or is R&D in private companies enough?
    • How do we design an ecosystem to support and accelerate U.S. onshore technology development?
    • How do we create the end-market pull force to productize emerging technologies?

• Cost Drivers and Competitiveness

• • • What are the cost gaps in advanced technology production in the U.S.?
    • How can we streamline unnecessary regulatory measures?
    • How can the advanced technology global supply chain be optimized for security and productivity?

• Cultivating Talent to Meet Long-Term National Goals

• • What kind and how much U.S. onshore research, development, and production capacity are we pursuing?
  • What kind and how much talent should be cultivated and/or immigrated to meet long-term goals?
  • How can we create the market pull of talent for research, development, and production in the U.S. and prioritize the required elements to achieve it?

• Government Signaling to Industry

• • How should government signal and lead in a capitalistic economic system?
  • What incentives should government provide to energize a critical industry sector?
  • What is the long-term effect of tariffs on domestic technology competitiveness?
  • What are the assumptions of the positive impact of tax credit and subsidy on U.S. technology competitiveness?

It is anticipated that additional technology areas will be added to this list in future solicitations.

Policy Study Proposal Preparation Instructions

Proposals should use 11-point font and have 1” margins. Proposals should be no longer than five (5) letter (8.5 x 11 inches) pages and include the following sections:

1. 1. Policy Study Team
      [The names of the policy study lead researcher and other study team members; for each person include their full name, title, organizational affiliation, and contact information (at a minimum email address and telephone number, but also websites and social media handles if desired.)]
   2. Background and Context
      [A description of the policy issue or problem being studied; relevant existing policies and their impacts; the rationale for conducting the study.]
   3. Objectives and Research Questions
      [Clear and specific research questions the study aims to answer; specific policy-related goals the study aims to achieve.]
   4. Scope of the Study
      [Defined boundaries of the research, including geographic areas, target populations, and policy areas to be examined; describe the key stakeholders to be consulted.]
   5. Methodology
      [Research design (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods; data collection methods (e.g., surveys, interviews, document analysis); data analysis approach.]
   6. Timeline and Milestones/Deliverables
      [The key project phases and deadlines for completion as well as a detailed list of outputs expected from the study (e.g., research report, policy brief, presentations) and the timeline for delivering outputs.]
   7. Project Team Roles and Qualifications
      [The names of the policy study lead researcher and other study team members and their respective responsibilities; brief expertise and qualifications of the study lead and members.]
   8. Dissemination Plan
      [Strategies for sharing research findings with relevant stakeholders.]
   9. Proposed Budget and Resource Requirements
      [Estimated costs, both direct and indirect, associated with conducting the study; details on expected resources needed (e.g., data access, travel).]

Policy Study Award and Contracting Information

The anticipated funding per study is $150,000 to $200,000 and the expected start date is August 1, 2026.

For non-UC Berkeley personnel or organizations, awards from this call for proposals will be made via a University Collaboration Agreement and associated Purchase Order. The University Collaboration Agreement is a procurement contract that includes the scope of work, insurance requirements, dispute resolutions, and related terms and conditions such as, but not limited to, indemnification, intellectual property, copyrights, and payment terms. Please note that proposers will work directly with the UC Berkeley Supply Chain Management/Procurement Department for all award and contract negotiations, rather than the Sponsored Projects Office.

More information on working with UC Berkeley can be found on the SCM website for Suppliers: https://supplychain.berkeley.edu/information-suppliers.

Policy Study Proposal Submission Instructions

Proposals should be submitted as a single PDF file via e-mail to info@tcip.org with the subject “TCIP Center Policy Study Proposal.”

Proposals must be received no later than Monday, May 25, 2026 by midnight Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).

Proposal award decisions are expected to be made by late June 2026.