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The report, authored by RTI researchers, analyzes federal funding applications in innovation
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — A new report from RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, uncovers promising ideas and strategies for the future of economic development in North Carolina. RTI policy analysts studied 39 federal funding applications for innovation-related projects from state-led coalitions to gain new insights.
In the new era of place-based development where growth opportunities are often based on geography, RTI aimed to identify compelling approaches in its headquarters state using application records from the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA’s) Build Back Better Regional Challenge (BBBRC) and the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines program (NSF Engines).
The report, titled “What federal funding applications in innovation tell us about the future of economic development in North Carolina,” is now publicly available to inform economic development policy and future collaboration.
“There’s a clear focus on innovation to stimulate growth in regions across the state with an emphasis on manufacturing, climate technology and clean energy,” said Sara Lawrence, one of the paper’s authors and RTI’s director of economic development. “The proposals also indicate the potential to leverage innovation to expand growth and economic resilience in regions outside of Research Triangle Park. The proposals underscore the importance of forging regional ties to lay the groundwork for meeting this economic development potential.”
Select report findings:
- Applicants represented nearly every region of the state with 28 applications from outside of the Research Triangle area, and 11 applications submitted from the state’s leading innovation hub around the Research Triangle.
- Nearly half (18 of 39) of the proposals originated from higher education institutions, including universities,
- Historically Black Colleges or Universities, a community college and a university-affiliated research lab.
Most submissions (31) had a specific industry focus with manufacturing and climate tech & clean energy comprising more than half.
The team analyzed records in five categories: the location of proposal leads, the geographic reach of proposed projects, the type of organizations included in the proposals, the industries of focus and the extent to which applications focused on equity or entrepreneurship.
Learn more about RTI’s capabilities in innovation for economic growth
