About IWRC

IEEE-USA Innovation, Workforce, and Research Conferences (IWRC) bring together stakeholders from industry, government, and academia to meet, learn, talk, and discuss government programs that promote innovation and small business in EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research) states. IWRC events provide opportunities to meet potential partners from the U.S. federal agencies and learn more about how stakeholders can contribute to their region’s innovation ecosystem.

Since the program’s inception in late 2023, IEEE-USA and its local partners, have hosted four successful IWRC Conferences in the south, midwest and northeast United States.

IWRC – Little Rock

13-15 September 2023 | Little Rock, Arkansas

IWRC Dakotas

10-11 June 2024 | Sioux Falls, South Dakota

IWRC Aerospace & Defense

3-4 December 2024 | Huntsville, Alabama

IWRC AI Summit

15 May | Portland, Maine

Who should attend IWRC?

Industry: C-Level, VP level, engineers, legal staff, R&D, patent/small business attorneys, finance & VC

Academia: Presidents, chancellors, tech transfer & patent offices, VPRs, researchers

Government: Policymakers, Federal funding program officers, economic development professionals, incentive managers, entrepreneurial support orgs

Why should you should attend IWRC?

Industry - Why Attend?

Gain access to potential partners in the federal government, information on tech transfer programs, access to federal SBIR and other research programs.

Government officials from the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation (NSF) and other agencies are coming to rural America looking for partners – like you! Learn about government programs to promote innovation and small business. Meet potential partners at local Universities. Learn more about the CHIPS Act and how it relates to your region. In 2022, Congress allocated $56 Billion for chip manufacturing in the United State. If you think that’s all going to Texas and California, you are wrong.

Academia - Why Attend?

Gain access to federal grant program officials, information on grant processes, connections with potential business partners, education on tech transfer process.

Come learn about potential government funding! Government grant officials from the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Energy (DOE), National Science Foundation (NSF) and other agencies are coming to your region to meet with tech sector and engineers/ entrepreneurs like you! The CHIPS Act requires more resources to flow into states like yours – government needs partners to make that happen. Learn how to partner with local small businesses.

Government - Why Attend?

Access local engineers/ entrepreneurs who are interested in learning more about federal government grants and becoming a part of your region’s innovation economy. Help you to promote government programs in rural America while fulfilling Congressional mandates.