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U.S. National Science Foundation

National Science Foundation Translation to Practice

Open · Opportunity 25-540 · Assistance Listing 47.070, 47.041, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, 47.083, 47.050, 47.084, 47.079, 47.049

Key facts

Deadline
Due Nov 17, 2026 · 41 days left
Award size
$600K – $2M
Total available
$30M
Cost share / match ?
Not required · Work out your budget and match
Who can apply
Other (see eligibility)
Where
Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee

Before you apply: federal grants require an active SAM.gov registration (Unique Entity ID) and a Grants.gov account. Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Grant-ready checklist

How this fits you

  • Available in Weakley County (nationwide program)
  • No cost share required
  • Tennessee recipients since 2023: 214

Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.

More from U.S. National Science Foundation

Read the official notice View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar Sign in to save

About this grant

The U.S. NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (NSF TIP) partners across sectors to advance three primary focus areas – accelerating technology translation and development, fostering regional innovation and economic growth, and preparing the American workforce for future high-wage jobs in STEM fields. The translation of research to practice ensures that the insights and innovations developed through scientific study and experimentation have tangible, positive impacts for the Nation. These impacts include improving the quality of life, promoting economic and job growth, ensuring national security, and maintaining global competitiveness. Indeed, scientific and engineering breakthroughs have the potential to address critical societal challenges in industries such as aerospace, agriculture, communications, education, energy, healthcare, national security, and transportation – but the translation of discoveries and innovations from the laboratory to society often takes many forms including non-linear pathways. The NSF TTP program was developed with several goals in mind: • To identify and support use-inspired research and translational activities enabling a continuum from foundational research to practice; • To develop partnerships and collaborations between institutions of higher education and other entities (e.g., industry, state/local/national government agencies, philanthropies, open-source ecosystems, for-benefit, for-profit and non-profit organizations, international organizations, etc.); • To promote and advance the education and training of students and postdoctoral researchers, encouraging the participation of all Americans in STEM including innovation and entrepreneurship; and • To identify future customer needs and opportunities and bring these to the forefront in the conduct of use-inspired research and translational activities. The NSF TTP program offers three tracks that represent different starting points or stages in moving discoveries and innovations from the laboratory to practice: • NSF TTP-Explore (NSF TTP-E) is a pilot track that is likely to be the first step for researchers seeking to translate their basic research to practice. To be eligible for the NSF TTP-E track, proposers must have an active, eligible, NSF research award (see Eligibility Information for further details). TTP-E is designed to encourage...

Eligibility (from the notice)

*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: -Non-profit, non-academic organizations: Independent museums, observatories, research laboratories, professional societies and similar organizations located in the U.S. that are directly associated with educational or research activities. -Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus. *Who May Serve as PI: By the submission deadline, a PI must hold either: • A tenured or tenure-track position, or • A primary, full-time, paid appointment in a research or teaching position (with exceptions granted for family or medical leave), as determined by the submitting institution. The NSF TTP-E track requires the proposers to have an active, eligible, NSF research award. NSF TTP-E proposers should have at least one year remaining on their NSF award and should have submitted (and had approved) 1-2 annual reports to date. As part of this track, EAGER, RAPID, or RAISE awards are not eligible to receive NSF TTP-E funds. TTP-E proposers MUST provide a 3- to 5-page description of future translational activities to their cognizant NSF Program Officer (PO) via email and gain their approval via email, before submission of an NSF TTP-E proposal. For the NSF TTP-P track, in addition to the PI, proposals must include a co-PI or Senior/Key Personnel who is a member or employee of an NSF-Catalyzed Partner. Partnerships with U.S. institutions of higher education are valued, but NSF TTP strongly prioritizes NSF-Catalyzed Partnerships that are able to help bring the product, process, or service to the market, potentially through licensing agreements, startup or small business formation, incorporation into an existing open-source ecosystem, development into standards setting arrangements, etc.

Should we apply? (2-minute check) Ask a partner for a letter

Your schedule, working back from the deadline

  1. Oct7
    Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
    Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov
  2. Oct27
    Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
    Suggested: partners need time to write and sign letters.
  3. Nov10
    Finish a complete draft for a final review
    University grant offices require final versions about 5 business days before the sponsor deadline. Emory Office of Sponsored Programs
  4. Nov15
    Submit
    Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog
  5. Nov17
    Deadline
    From the funder.

Save this grant to put these dates in your tracker and private calendar.

Writing the need statement? Weakley County facts with citations.

Who in Tennessee has won this program

214 awards to Tennessee recipients in 9 counties since federal FY2023 · 0 in Weakley County. Largest shown:

Past Tennessee recipients
RecipientWhereAmountFY
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$15M2023
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$13.3M2019
University Of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$11.7M2023
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$9.3M2024
University Of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$9M2026
University Of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$5M2025
Fisk UniversityNashville, Davidson County$5M2021
University Of TennesseeKnoxville, Knox County$5M2026
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$5M2022
Tennessee Technological UniversityCookeville, Putnam County$4.7M2021
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$4M2025
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Davidson County$4M2025

Source: USAspending.gov. Past awards show who this program funds; they don't guarantee future awards.

About the program (47.041)

Engineering — (ENG)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.049)

Mathematical and Physical Sciences — (MPS)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.050)

Geosciences — (GEO)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.070)

Computer and Information Science and Engineering — (CISE)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.074)

Biological Sciences — (BIO)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.075)

Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences — (SBE)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.076)

STEM Education (formerly Education and Human Resources) — (EDU)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.079)

International Science and Engineering

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.083)

Integrative Activities — (OIA)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

About the program (47.084)

Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships — NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP)

How applications are judged

Not Applicable.

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Examples of funded projects

Not Applicable.

Program listing on SAM.gov

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