NSF expands opportunity to build capacity to accelerate research translation

The new NSF Accelerating Research Translation funding opportunity is intentionally designed for a wide range of institutions of higher education, offering five tracks to address differing levels of research translation readiness

The U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) announced an expanded funding opportunity for the NSF Accelerating Research Translation (NSF ART) program. This funding opportunity will support institutions of higher education (IHEs) to build the capacity and infrastructure needed to strengthen and scale the translation of basic research outcomes into impactful and tangible solutions, including innovations in the market. This opportunity builds upon NSF's inaugural investment through the program by expanding access to IHEs with different research translation readiness levels (RTRLs).

Through NSF ART, the agency anticipates funding a variety of projects with awards ranging from $3 million to $8 million per award for up to four years for IHEs that demonstrate strong basic research but have room to build, grow and sustain their capacity for research translation. New to this opportunity, NSF also anticipates investing in a coordinated network of IHEs and nonprofits to develop education, training and other resources to strengthen the overall research translation infrastructure across America.

"Through ART, NSF aims to bolster and increase the scale and pace of our nation's translational research capacity," said Erwin Gianchandani, assistant director for NSF TIP. "With this revised funding opportunity, we have attempted to learn from the inaugural ART competition and also respond to community feedback to meet the widest range of organizations and individuals."

New to this round of funding, the ART solicitation is built on five interconnected yet distinct tracks to accelerate research translation at IHEs with a range of RTRLs:

• Track 1: IHEs with a relatively low RTRL with ongoing research that have potential for innovation translation but a limited infrastructure and ecosystem for creating such opportunities.
• Track 2: IHEs that have a higher RTRL with a higher volume of research but an overall low level of research translation.
• Tracks 3 and 4: IHEs or nonprofits that can create and deliver education and training materials focused on entrepreneurship, technology transfer and economic impact, and offer related services to IHEs that have a lower RTRL.
• Track 5: IHEs with a high RTRL that can coordinate research translation activities for teams across all tracks.

To learn more about this ART funding opportunity, please visit the ART webpage and view a recorded video. You may also register for an upcoming virtual office hour session to learn more about preparing a proposal for the ART funding opportunity. Please register online in advance to participate.

About NSF TIP

The NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) seeks to engage all Americans in accelerating critical and emerging technologies to advance U.S. competitiveness. The directorate partners across sectors to advance three primary focus areas — accelerating technology translation and development, fostering regional innovation and economic growth, and preparing the American workforce for better-quality, higher-wage jobs. For more information about NSF TIP, visit nsf.gov/tip/latest.