The National Science Foundation (NSF) said Friday that it is launching an initiative aimed at accelerating research, development, and innovation (RDI) to boost the commercialization of emerging technologies.
The Tech Labs initiative will be overseen by NSF’s Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP). The directorate described the new program as “a bold, flexible, and outcomes-driven initiative designed to accelerate practical research with real-world applications.”
Specifically, Tech Labs will support RDI teams working full time to “pursue technical breakthroughs that have the potential to reshape or create entire technology sectors,” NSF said in an announcement. The program will provide milestone-based funding, operational autonomy, and engagement opportunities with national laboratories, industry, and nonprofits.
“Tech Labs will reduce the time and barriers between foundational research and real-world application by supporting teams that are ready to transform fields and move quickly from concept to sector-wide impact,” NSF said in a request for information that asks for public input on the program.
By prioritizing support for teams over individual projects, NSF said Tech Labs seeks to overcome institutional and market barriers that often stall promising technologies.
The program will follow a phased model designed to identify and scale high-impact teams, according to the RFI. NSF will begin with a 90-day selection process. Then, selected teams will enter a nine-month “Phase 0” focused on refining their concepts, building teams, and demonstrating early technical progress.
Teams that show strong results will advance to a two-year Phase 1, where they are expected to scale their operations and push technologies toward real-world impact. High-performing teams may receive extended support in Phase 2 to transition innovations to industry, spin out new initiatives, or pursue market adoption, with the goal of ultimately moving beyond NSF funding, the RFI added.
Funding beyond Phase 0 is expected to range from $10 million to $50 million per team per year, according to the RFI.
“As scientific challenges have become more complex and dependent upon the work of cross-disciplinary teams of experts, our nation must expand its scientific funding toolkit to adapt,” said Erwin Gianchandani, assistant director of NSF TIP. “Tech Labs will provide entrepreneurial teams of proven scientists the freedom and flexibility to pursue breakthrough science at breakneck speed, without needing to frequently stop and apply for additional grant funding with each new idea or development.”
Tech Labs will prioritize novel platform technologies that support future innovation and economic growth across multiple sectors; identify and address market needs; and leverage novel partnerships to address challenges that require vast or specialized resources.
It also aims to close gaps in the technology translation pipeline by de-risking emerging innovations not yet attractive to private investors while aligning them with real market needs, NSF added.
A companion program dubbed the NSF TIP Tech Accelerators Initiative will focus on technologies deemed critical to national priorities. NSF said the companion effort will provide more opportunities for teams and more details will be provided in the coming weeks.