US institutions of higher education and eligible nonprofits with a qualifying prior/current NSF award (the 'lineage' requirement); industry partners join (esp. for PFI-RP). Not a direct small-business grant (see SBIR for that).

What burden and restrictions apply?

Recipients must comply with the governing call or agreement, retain technical and cost evidence, report progress and outcomes, and support audit, tax or milestone verification as applicable. Funds are restricted to the approved work plan, budget, eligible cost categories and award period; unrelated, unsupported, double-funded and noncompliant expenditure is excluded.

NSF Partnerships for Innovation (PFI)

PFI Technology Translation awards up to about USD 550,000 for 18-24 months; Research Partnerships awards up to USD 1 million for up to 36 months. · National Science Foundation (NSF) — TIP Directorate

NSF PFI funds the translation of prior NSF-funded research toward commercial impact, in two tracks: Technology Translation (PFI-TT) to move a proof-of-concept to a prototype/market, and Research Partnerships (PFI-RP) for larger academic–industry collaborations. A pathway for university-affiliated founders to de-risk deep tech. Current lifecycle: open; next verified deadline 2026-09-17. Real economics: PFI Technology Translation awards up to about USD 550,000 for 18-24 months; Research Partnerships awards up to USD 1 million for up to 36 months..

Tier 2 · ranked #6nsfpfitranslationacademic-spinout

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Key facts

Funder	National Science Foundation (NSF) — TIP Directorate
Amount	PFI Technology Translation awards up to about USD 550,000 for 18-24 months; Research Partnerships awards up to USD 1 million for up to 36 months.
Decision time	Competitive NSF merit review and award processing generally take 6-9 months.
Eligibility	US institutions of higher education and eligible nonprofits with a qualifying prior/current NSF award (the 'lineage' requirement); industry partners join (esp. for PFI-RP). Not a direct small-business grant (see SBIR for that).
Restrictions	Recipients must comply with the governing call or agreement, retain technical and cost evidence, report progress and outcomes, and support audit, tax or milestone verification as applicable. Funds are restricted to the approved work plan, budget, eligible cost categories and award period; unrelated, unsupported, double-funded and noncompliant expenditure is excluded.
Status	closed

Always confirm on the official page before applying — dates and terms change.

Application process

Confirm eligibility (qualifying NSF-funded 'lineage' intellectual property)
Register organization in SAM.gov (UEI) and Research.gov
Prepare the proposal (technology, commercialization plan, and partnerships) per NSF 23-538
Submit via Research.gov / Grants.gov by the annual deadline
Merit review → award

Background

National Science Foundation (NSF) — TIP Directorate operates NSF Partnerships for Innovation (PFI). This pass separates direct cash, repayable finance, credits, incentives and umbrella programs so later ranking does not compare unlike instruments. PFI links NSF-funded research to commercialization and industry partnerships. The solicitation permits materially improved resubmissions. PFI recipients without prior I-Corps participation allocate USD 50,000 for I-Corps.

How the application really works

Confirm eligibility (qualifying NSF-funded 'lineage' intellectual property) → Register organization in SAM.gov (UEI) and Research.gov → Prepare the proposal (technology, commercialization plan, and partnerships) per NSF 23-538 → Submit via Research.gov / Grants.gov by the annual deadline → Merit review → award

Tips

Show direct fit with NSF-funded science and engineering across fields.

Watch out for

Current lifecycle is open.
Recipients must comply with the governing call or agreement, retain technical and cost evidence, report progress and outcomes, and support audit, tax or milestone verification as applicable.
Funds are restricted to the approved work plan, budget, eligible cost categories and award period; unrelated, unsupported, double-funded and noncompliant expenditure is excluded.

Track record

PFI links NSF-funded research to commercialization and industry partnerships.
The solicitation permits materially improved resubmissions.
PFI recipients without prior I-Corps participation allocate USD 50,000 for I-Corps.

The reviewed official corpus does not publish a comparable applicant denominator and selection rate.

Frequently asked questions

Is this actionable now?: open. Next verified deadline: 2026-09-17.
What is the real economic value?: PFI Technology Translation awards up to about USD 550,000 for 18-24 months; Research Partnerships awards up to USD 1 million for up to 36 months.
Who is eligible?: US institutions of higher education and eligible nonprofits with a qualifying prior/current NSF award (the 'lineage' requirement); industry partners join (esp. for PFI-RP). Not a direct small-business grant (see SBIR for that).
How does selection work?: Confirm eligibility (qualifying NSF-funded 'lineage' intellectual property); Register organization in SAM.gov (UEI) and Research.gov; Prepare the proposal (technology, commercialization plan, and partnerships) per NSF 23-538; Submit via Research.gov / Grants.gov by the annual deadline; Merit review → award. Competitive NSF merit review and award processing generally take 6-9 months.
What burden and restrictions apply?: Recipients must comply with the governing call or agreement, retain technical and cost evidence, report progress and outcomes, and support audit, tax or milestone verification as applicable. Funds are restricted to the approved work plan, budget, eligible cost categories and award period; unrelated, unsupported, double-funded and noncompliant expenditure is excluded.
What evidence exists?: PFI links NSF-funded research to commercialization and industry partnerships. The solicitation permits materially improved resubmissions. PFI recipients without prior I-Corps participation allocate USD 50,000 for I-Corps. The reviewed official corpus does not publish a comparable applicant denominator and selection rate.

Sources

www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/pfi-partnerships-innovation/504790/nsf23-538/solicitation — Official amounts, lineage, process, materials, resubmission and contact (checked 2026-08-10)
www.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/i-corps/2025-biennial-report — Official PFI-to-I-Corps requirement and translation outcomes (checked 2026-08-10)
www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/pfi-partnerships-innovation/504790/updates/120073 — Official source used for the 2026-08-11 verification correction. (checked 2026-08-11)