In 2024, the U.S. National Science Foundation announced an award for an Engineering Research Center titled “Transformation of American Rubber through Domestic Innovation for Supply Security: TARDISS” to advance research towards U.S. natural rubber production. Expected outcomes include a more sustainable domestic rubber industry and a workforce trained in engineering and agriculture by a new American Natural Rubber Academy. The center integrates engineering with biology, biotechnology, agriculture, and other disciplines optimizing plants including rubber dandelion, guayule, and mountain gum to produce new natural rubber materials at scale. Crop production focuses on marginal agricultural lands. TARDISS actively engages industry – manufacturers, growers, investors, startups and other corporate partners – across three research areas of (1) bioengineering (genetic improvements), (2) crop engineering (growing practices), and (3) latex and rubber engineering (extraction, materials characterization and product development for industrial-scale use). It offers industry members the opportunity to shape research, connect with natural rubber researchers, identify emerging talent, and gain early access to new technology and innovations. Membership is tiered to meet the diverse interests, scales of operation, and sector representation of prospective members.