National Science Foundation Translation to Practice

The National Science Foundation (NSF), through its Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP), has announced the Translation to Practice (TTP) program under funding opportunity number 25-540. The NSF TIP directorate is focused on accelerating technology translation and development, fostering regional innovation and economic growth, and preparing the American workforce for future STEM employment. The TTP program is designed to support the movement of scientific and engineering research results from foundational discovery toward real-world use and societal benefit. This opportunity reflects NSF’s mission to ensure that scientific and engineering advances are applied to address national challenges in diverse sectors, including healthcare, education, transportation, agriculture, national security, and energy. The TTP program specifically encourages partnerships and translational research that can lower barriers to implementation and increase the societal impact of NSF-funded research. Funded projects must demonstrate a strong potential for addressing real-world needs through the development and application of use-inspired research and innovation. There are three distinct tracks under the TTP program. The TTP-Explore (TTP-E) track targets early-stage translational research and is open to current NSF awardees with eligible active grants that have at least one year remaining and one or two annual reports approved. This track enables an extension of up to two years on the existing NSF award to begin exploratory translational work. The TTP-Translate (TTP-T) track supports more mature efforts, focusing on further developing and iterating solutions that have emerged from prior research. The TTP-Partner (TTP-P) track is for collaborative initiatives that include an NSF-Catalyzed Partner to assist in bringing technologies or innovations to market or society. These may include entities such as industry partners, non-profits, government agencies, or international organizations. Eligible applicants include U.S.-based institutions of higher education, both two- and four-year, as well as non-profit, non-academic organizations such as observatories, research labs, and professional societies directly engaged in education or research. Principal Investigators must hold a tenured, tenure-track, or full-time research or teaching position. For TTP-P submissions, proposals must include a co-PI or senior/key personnel from an NSF-Catalyzed Partner. For TTP-E, proposers must secure written approval from their NSF Program Officer prior to submission. Applications for the TTP-T and TTP-P tracks are due by September 16, 2025. Proposals for the TTP-E track may be submitted at any time. Matching funds are not required for any track. The total estimated funding available is $30 million, with award sizes ranging from $600,000 to $2,000,000. The number of awards to be distributed has not been specified. The opportunity is discretionary and supported under various NSF Assistance Listings, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the research eligible for support. For more information, interested applicants should refer to NSF Publication 25-540. Any issues accessing this opportunity or linking to the full announcement can be directed to NSF Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov. The archive date for the opportunity is October 17, 2030, suggesting its long-term relevance and potential for recurring submission cycles.

Proposers should contact their NSF Program Officer for approval prior to submission (TTP-E) and identify a qualified NSF-Catalyzed Partner for TTP-P.