ART: Technology, Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Hub (ART:TECH)

One of the goals of scientific research is to have an impact beyond the laboratory; however, many university researchers do not have the knowledge, support, or resources to translate their discoveries to the point of societal and economic impact. This project seeks to address the challenges and barriers faced by researchers in transforming their innovative ideas into solutions for real-world problems. By designing action-oriented activities and providing hands-on business training and support, the Accelerating Research Translation: Technology, Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Hub (ART:TECH) project aims to help researchers navigate the complex technical, ethical, and commercialization landscape associated with innovation and entrepreneurship. Researchers will learn how to utilize local, state, and national resources, as well as partner effectively and efficiently with the local communities to advance their research beyond the laboratory. The guiding principle of the project is to bring together expertise and resources to establish and maintain a culture of innovation built on diversity and respect where impactful discoveries will result in direct benefits to society. The vision of the project is to establish the foundations for a robust research translation infrastructure that serves as the natural nexus point for use-inspired research activities. ART:TECH addresses institutional barriers through the creation of new training and support programs, scaling existing successful programs, and establishing an ambassador network. The project is designed to advance academic innovations, facilitate translation of benchtop research into real-world impact, and achieve an institutional culture change by raising awareness of the economic and societal benefits of translational research. Creative activities will be implemented to build capacity to scale and accelerate research translation while also training the next generation of graduate and post-doctoral students in innovation and entrepreneurship. The goal is to not only advance high impact, translational research but also promote innovation, economic growth, and societal well-being. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.