The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships has issued a new solicitation “to strengthen the U.S. innovation ecosystem.” Accelerating Innovation Research offers two options for applicants:

• The Technology Transition Plan competition will encourage the translation of the numerous, technologically-promising, fundamental discoveries made by NSF researchers, while drawing upon and building the entrepreneurial spirit of the researchers and students. Proposals will include a Preliminary Technology Translation Plan, which will be reviewed by a panel of academic and business experts. Awards of up to $300,000 (with a third-party, one-to-one match required for awards over $150,000) will be made based on merit and the achievement of defined milestones. Awardees will later deliver a Final Technology Translation Plan that requests up to $50,000 and includes a technology demonstration suitable to attract subsequent funding for further development and commercialization.
• Research Alliance awards of up to $1 million each over two years will accelerate the innovation of a product, a process, or system. This activity will foster connections between an existing NSF innovation research alliance (including consortia such as Engineering Research Centers, Industry University Cooperative Research Centers, Partnerships for Innovation, Science and Technology Centers, Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers, Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers grantees) and other institutions, whose complementary focus will spur the development of discoveries into innovative technologies through synergistic collaboration.

 Letters of intent for either type or proposal are required by December 1, 2010. Full proposals should be submitted between January 1 and February 1, 2011. A webinar for potential applicants will be held September 13, 2010, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern. Contact Rathindra DasGupta at 703/292-8353 or [email protected] for additional information.