Texas Proof of Concept Awards
Provides bridge funding for university technology projects at the University of Texas at Austin to reduce early risk.
The Texas Proof of Concept Awards program is managed by Discovery to Impact (UT Austin's research commercialization office) and offers two tiers of gap funding for UT Austin researchers. The entry-level Texas Proof of Concept Award provides $25,000 to help de-risk early-stage technologies, validate work, improve technical feasibility, and enhance market readiness. The follow-on Texas+ Proof of Concept Award allows recipients to access a combined funding cap of $125,000 per innovation. Applications run on Fall and Spring cycles. Applicants from any UT college, school, or unit may apply for one or both awards in any order, with a maximum of two Proof of Concept awards per year per applicant. The program has deployed over $1 million across UT Austin innovations. UT Austin affiliation is strictly required — external researchers and companies are not eligible.
Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.
Supports University of Texas researchers with early-stage gap funding to validate emerging technologies across research fields.
Supports University of Texas researchers with larger follow-on gap grants to advance promising early technologies toward adoption.