Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) celebrated the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) funding awarded to the Colorado-Wyoming Advanced Sensing and Computation for Environmental Decision-making (ASCEND) Engine, up to $45 million over three years. This funding will develop technologies to respond to wildfires, drought, and extreme weather hazards. This important investment builds on years of collaboration between Colorado and Wyoming to develop technologies to address urgent regional and national challenges.
“Our Colorado and Wyoming partnership turns world-class research into real-world solutions, and this award boosts that work. This funding will help better protect communities from wildfires, drought, and extreme weather while driving innovation, creating good-paying jobs, and strengthening Colorado’s economy,” said Governor Polis.
“The ASCEND Engine continues to demonstrate how scientific and technological innovation addresses our nation’s most pressing challenges, all the while enabling every region to hone its competitive advantage and grow its economy,” said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. “The work advanced by the NSF Engine in Colorado and Wyoming is unlocking new technologies, creating new jobs, and powering America to a more prosperous, more secure, and more resilient future.”
First launched through a joint Colorado-Wyoming effort and selected through a highly competitive NSF process, the ASCEND Engine develops and deploys technologies that address shared regional challenges.
With this funding, Innosphere — a Fort Collins, Colorado-based technology and science accelerator — will lead the ASCEND Engine through three flagship programs over the next three years:
- ARID (Asset Resilience through Intelligent Digital Twins): Accelerates solutions to protect power and water systems from increasing wildfire risk;
- SHIELD (Soil Health Innovation, Evaluation, and Demonstration): Establishes a first-of-its-kind network of field test sites to advance next-generation agricultural measurement technologies; and
- Extreme Weather Prediction (launching in 2027): Will develop high-resolution weather forecasting applied to critical economic challenges such as hail and wildfire smoke.
These programs will bring together advanced sensing, computation, and real-world deployment to turn breakthrough science into actionable solutions. A summary of the Strategic Plan is available for more detailed information.
“Innosphere is uniquely positioned to lead the ASCEND Engine, connecting an ecosystem of 40-plus partners spanning research universities, federal laboratories, corporations, startups, investors, workforce organizations, and civic institutions,” said Mike Freeman, CEO of Innosphere. “We have decades of experience integrating with partners along the I-25 Innovation Corridor spanning Wyoming and Colorado to turn innovative ideas into impact and see renewed funding as a vote of confidence in our region’s ability to lead the nation in environmental intelligence and resilience.”
“The ASCEND Engine is spearheading the development and commercialization of new technologies that will help Colorado find innovative solutions in areas like wildfire preparedness and response, soil health and quality, and extreme weather hazards,” said Eve Lieberman, OEDIT Executive Director. “This work will benefit our communities and our economy, driving economic development and job creation. We’re thrilled to celebrate the federal funding announced today.”
Recognizing the opportunity to drive economic development, create jobs, and attract additional federal and private investment, the Colorado Economic Development Commission (EDC) earmarked $2 million to support the ASCEND Engine’s successful NSF selection and related Colorado-based initiatives. Most recently, this funding helped launch Innosphere’s Earth & Space Systems Accelerator to support startups working in advanced sensing and computation.
Additionally, an Opportunity Now grant to Innosphere is supporting structured internships and apprenticeship programs launched through the ASCEND Engine to cultivate a new generation of advanced industry workers specially equipped to meet the demands of these emerging sectors.
The ASCEND Engine has also received financial support from the Colorado Higher Education Competitive Research Authority (CHECRA) to support embedded data science expertise within Colorado‑based research teams.
About the NSF ASCEND Engine in Colorado and Wyoming
Led by Innosphere and established by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), with support from the State of Colorado and the State of Wyoming, the NSF ASCEND Engine is a collaborative initiative focused on driving innovation in environmental sensing and analytics across the Colorado-Wyoming region. The NSF ASCEND Engine brings together a diverse network of partners to develop and commercialize technologies that address critical resilience challenges, foster economic growth and enhance community well-being. Visit www.innosphere.org/nsf-engine for more information.
About Innosphere
Innosphere accelerates the success of start-up founders building and commercializing technology and science-based companies, using comprehensive incubation programs, modern office and lab spaces, workforce initiatives, grants, and venture capital, Innosphere is an award-winning 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a 28-year history of success in its mission to grow the region’s entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem. Visit www.innosphere.org to learn more.