ART Track 5: CART: The National ART Portal for Unprecedented Translational Impact

Translating fundamental laboratory research into practical applications is essential to drive the United States innovation economy and maintain a global competitive edge. However, to advance national technological and economic leadership, there is a critical need to increase the number of robust translational research ecosystems across the country. This project is aimed at coordination of various activities in the ART program to maximize its collective impact. By centralizing resources and fostering a community of practice, this initiative will benefit society by accelerating the movement of academic innovations toward use-inspired applications for economic and societal impact. The project supports education for all by promoting curriculum enhancements developed by other ART projects that align student training with future industry workforce opportunities. The technical objective of this project is to enhance existing ART portal infrastructure into a national coordinating center for research translation. The project will execute four primary tasks: enhancing the digital platform into a centralized hub; providing comprehensive assessment of all projects in the overall ART program; monitoring and advising participating institutions; and cultivating a community of practice. Methodologically, the coordinating center will aggregate common data elements from awardees for comprehensive evaluations, identifying best practices and critical gaps. Expected outcomes include a unified digital and operational ecosystem connecting researchers, academic institutions, companies, and community partners. The center will also facilitate access to technical resources and disseminate specialized training modules across the network. This project is focused on accelerating the translation of new knowledge from the laboratory to society which will positively impact national economic development by creating new business ventures, attracting new industries, and training a future workforce. This ART Program coordinating project will further enhance the effectiveness and impact of the NSF’s strategic initiative in accelerating research and innovation translation for higher societal benefits and economic impact. The ART Program, supported by the NSF TIP Directorate, seeks to advance the U.S. scientific and economic leadership by building capacity and increasing the number of robust translational research ecosystems in Institutions of Higher Education that span across the full geography of our nation. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students 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.