The National Science Foundation (NSF) seeks to increase the scale and pace of advancing discoveries made while conducting academic research into tangible solutions that benefit the public. This is the primary aim of the “Accelerating Research Translation” (ART) program. Specifically, the primary goals of this program are to build capacity and infrastructure for translational research at U.S. Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) and to enhance their role in regional innovation ecosystems. In addition, this program seeks to effectively train graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in translational research, benefiting them across a range of career options.
A particular intent of ART is to support IHEs that want to build the necessary infrastructure to boost the overall institutional capacity to accelerate the pace and scale of translation of fundamental research outcomes into practice by supporting the development of a range of activities essential for this activity. The ART program is not intended to support IHEs that already have high levels of translational research activity as part of their R&D enterprise (as noted by their number of invention disclosures, patents issued, start-ups, licenses/options, revenue from royalties, the overall volume of industry-funded research, broad adoption of research outputs by communities or constituents, etc.). Such institutions are encouraged to become part of the ART network as valuable collaborators, providing expertise in building the necessary infrastructure for translational research at other IHEs responding to this solicitation. The ART program is also not intended as a resource for conducting additional fundamental research. See sections II and VI of this solicitation for additional information.
This solicitation seeks proposals that enable IHE-based teams to propose a blend of: (1) activities that will help build and/or strengthen the institutional infrastructure to sustainably grow the institutional capacity for research translation in the short and long terms; (2) educational/training opportunities, especially for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, to become entrepreneurs and/or seek use-inspired and/or translational research-oriented careers in the public and/or private sectors; and (3) specific, translational research activities that offer immediate opportunities for transition to practice to create economic and/or societal impact. The funded teams will form a nationwide network of ‘ART Ambassadors’ who will champion the cause of translational research.
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 1
Full Proposal Deadline: Sep. 18, 2024
Proposals may only be submitted by the following:
- Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) - Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of subawards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.
Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 1.
A proposal can involve multiple organizations, but the proposal must be submitted by a lead organization with subawards to other participating organizations. Separately submitted collaborative proposals are not permitted.
An eligible IHE can submit a maximum of one proposal as a lead organization per solicitation. An IHE can serve on no more than two proposals as a subawardee per solicitation.
Any IHE that receives an ART award is not allowed to submit a proposal to this program as the lead organization in any future competitions of this solicitation.
Limit on Number of Proposals per PI or co-PI: 1
An individual can serve as a PI on only one proposal. An individual can serve as a co-PI on multiple proposals.
Estimated Number of Awards: 10
Up to 10 awards per round of this solicitation, with up to $6,000,000 per award and a duration of 4 years, are anticipated.
Anticipated Funding Amount: $60,000,000
Estimated program budget, number of awards, and average award size/duration are subject to the availability of funds and quality of proposals received.