Accelerating Research Translation (ART)

ART — NSF 25-548

Supports university infrastructure growth in technology transfer through NSF research grants.

The NSF Accelerating Research Translation (ART) program, solicitation NSF 25-548 published September 26, 2025, funds institutions of higher education to build, expand, or sustain research translation ecosystems and technology transfer infrastructure across all STEM domains. The program is structured into five tracks serving institutions at different organizational maturity levels: Track 1 ACT (entry-level capacity building, up to $3 million over three years, 20 awards planned), Track 2 GROW (expanding existing programs, up to $6 million over four years, 10 awards planned), Track 3 RESOURCE (building shared national resources, up to $8 million over four years, 5 awards planned), Track 4 ET (entrepreneurial training, up to $3 million over three years, 4 awards planned), and Track 5 CART (collaborative ART, up to $3 million over five years, 2 awards planned). Across all tracks, NSF plans to fund approximately 41 awards in this cycle.

Eligibility is restricted to institutions of higher education (IHEs) and, for certain tracks, non-profit organizations. For-profit companies and standalone research organizations are not eligible as lead applicants. Each eligible IHE may submit a maximum of one proposal for Track 1 or Track 2 — not both — making institutional track selection a strategic decision. The program is administered by the NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP), which was established in 2022 as NSF's first new directorate in three decades to specifically accelerate the translation of federally funded research into economic and societal outcomes.

ART is designed for institutions that currently lack robust technology transfer offices (TTOs) or commercialization infrastructure, not for universities that already have mature TTOs. Competitive proposals must articulate a concrete institutional change model — how the funding will shift organizational culture, build staff capacity, and create durable partnerships with industry and investors. The NSF 25-548 solicitation document contains page limits, scoring criteria, required forms, and submission portal instructions that are essential reading before drafting.