The Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation is looking for a higher-education partner.
The Navy Yard on Thursday issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) to accredited higher-education institutions for the lease, development and operation of a 20,000-square-foot space as part of Phase II of its Research Yard facility.
The solicitation invites institutions with a track record in applied research and innovation to join the Yard’s growing network of academic, entrepreneurial and manufacturing collaborators, according to a press release.
The selected partner will help expand the mission of the Research Yard an on-site applied research and learning hub launched in 2023 in partnership with the Pratt Institute and the City University of New York’s City (CUNY) College of Technology.
“The Research Yard pays homage to the initial premise of opportunity and innovation that the Brooklyn Navy Yard was built on. The applied research and learning facility is a place to address real-world challenges and conceptualize and commercialize problem-solving technology,” said Lindsay Greene, president and chief executive officer of BNYDC. "We welcome educational partners actively seeking a blank canvas where they can complement our mission of innovating tangible solutions in a distinctive multi-institution project within a dynamic ecosystem campus.”
Phase I of the Research Yard includes fabrication labs, robotics equipment, product galleries and dedicated workspaces for students, faculty and mission-aligned partners such as the Pratt Center for Community Development and the Center for Climate Adaptation. The upcoming Phase II will build on this foundation by bringing in a new academic institution to further develop programming and infrastructure focused on applied research for urban innovation.
Potential research areas for Phase II include climate change mitigation and adaptation, micromobility, circular economy, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and smart city technologies. More than $5 million in city funding is available to support the build-out of the space.
To qualify, responding institutions must be accredited and offer undergraduate or graduate-level programs in fields such as engineering, computer science, robotics, product design, urban planning and related disciplines. Additionally, applicants must demonstrate leadership in applied research and experience with commercialization or partnerships in the private sector.
Institutions interested in submitting a response or learning more about the opportunity can download the RFEI here.
