{"id":155173,"date":"2026-09-14T10:01:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T14:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=155173"},"modified":"2026-09-14T10:01:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T14:01:09","slug":"nsf-funds-pilot-program-to-support-small-businesses-in-accelerating-commercialization-of-their-late-stage-deep-technology-and-avoid-the-valley-of-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/nsf-funds-pilot-program-to-support-small-businesses-in-accelerating-commercialization-of-their-late-stage-deep-technology-and-avoid-the-valley-of-death\/","title":{"rendered":"NSF Funds Pilot Program to Support Small Businesses in Accelerating Commercialization of Their Late-Stage Deep-Technology and Avoid the \u201cValley of Death\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

The U.S. National Science Foundation\u2019s Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) announced a $20 million investment to launch a two-year pilot that will provide support to small businesses in the commercialization of their late-stage deep-technology research<\/a> and development. The pilot aims to address a persistent gap that separates federally funded deep technology research from commercial success. The investment ensures that the U.S. remains at the forefront of global innovation.<\/p>\n

\u201cNSF invests in small businesses that bring the most innovative cutting-edge technologies to the market and society,\u201d says Erwin Gianchandani, NSF assistant director for TIP. \u201cBy closing this gap that is known as the \u2018valley of death,\u2019 NSF aims to strengthen our commitment to translational research and further develop innovation ecosystems in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cvalley of death\u201d refers to a stage at which a new technology innovation has been substantially de-risked but the technology has not yet been commercially proven, making it difficult to attract funding or other support needed to achieve commercial viability.<\/p>\n

\u201cNCTI builds on UCF\u2019s growing national leadership in helping promising technologies become products, companies and economic growth.\u201d \u2014 Alexander N. Cartwright, UCF president<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cMany NSF-supported small businesses have the potential to become great commercial successes and contribute significantly to economic growth and job creation throughout the nation,\u201d says Lesia Crumpton-Young, TIP section head for small businesses. \u201cWe want to support small businesses to overcome the hurdles common to commercializing deep technology innovations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Led by the University of Central Florida\u2019s National Commercialization and Translation Institute (NCTI), the pilot will examine the factors, conditions and approaches that lead to the successful transition of deep technology innovations to nationally impactful technologies.<\/p>\n

The institute represents the latest evolution of a commercialization pipeline UCF has spent years developing. Through initiatives including the Southeast Hub of NSF I-Corps, NSF Accelerating Research Translation (ART) and the Florida Semiconductor Engine, UCF has helped researchers evaluate commercial opportunities, advance emerging technologies and strengthen regional innovation. NCTI will build on that foundation by expanding UCF\u2019s commercialization efforts to companies nationwide.<\/p>\n

UCF Professor of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems Ivan Garibay<\/a>, principal investigator for NCTI, will lead the institute, which will provide commercialization funding, expert mentorship and investor connections to SBIR\/STTR Phase II and Phase IIB funded companies, while evaluating which approaches most effectively help deep technology  companies reach the marketplace.<\/p>\n