Scientific Instrumentation for Sensing and Imaging

May 28, 2026 | 12 PM CT | Virtual

The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) invites you to attend an introductory webinar on the recently released NSF X-Labs initiative and its topic: Scientific Instrumentation for Sensing and Imaging.

NSF X-Labs represent a bold, flexible, and outcomes-driven initiative designed to build and accelerate novel platform technologies capable of unlocking entirely new sectors, including new fields of scientific inquiry. The program will support full-time research and development (R&D) teams focused on use-inspired scientific breakthroughs and foundational platform technologies that traditional university and industry labs cannot easily address. NSF X-Labs teams will benefit from ambitious R&D goals, operational autonomy, milestone-based funding, and the ability to engage across academia, industry, national laboratories, and nonprofit sectors. NSF X-Labs will bet on ambitious, full-time teams working with urgency and purpose, and provide them with the structure, resources, and flexibility necessary to cultivate early-stage platform technologies that will accelerate breakthroughs and unlock entirely new sectors of the economy.

NSF X-Labs in this topic will target specific platform technologies in sensing, imaging and supporting technologies that will form the basis for revolutionary new capabilities in scientific discovery and technology sectors. An NSF X-Labs Mission in this topic must be transformative, accelerating breakthrough R&D in scientific instrumentation towards creating or reshaping new lines of research and technologies. Successful teams will develop platform technologies, overcome technical barriers facing sensing and imaging, demonstrate measurable impact on the U.S. science and technology landscape, and position their technologies for widespread use and investment.

The webinar will include a brief presentation followed by time for questions.