The National Science Foundation has launched a new effort aimed at building capacity and infrastructure for translational research at U.S. Institutions of Higher Education. The Accelerating Research Translation (ART) spans all directorates and disciplines supported by the Foundation and is targeted at universities that do not have a high level of translational research as measured by indicators such as patents, invention disclosures, licenses and other metrics.
According to the NSF, the program seeks to: 1) strengthen the institutional infrastructure to support and grow research translation, 2) fund educational/training opportunities for graduate students to become entrepreneurs and/or seek use-inspired and/or translational research-oriented careers and, 3) support “translational research activities that offer immediate opportunities for transition to practice to create economic and/or societal impact.”
It is the intention of NSF that successful awardees will form a nationwide network of ‘ART Ambassadors’ who will champion the cause of translational research both within their own school and among their peers at other academic institutions. Individuals serving as ART Ambassadors can include graduate students, senior administrators as well as university staff within tech transfer offices.