The Accelerator Awards program provides grant funding to advance the translation of Ohio State innovations from the university to the marketplace through the commercialization of university intellectual property to Ohio-based startup companies.
The program is funded by the Ohio Third Frontier Technology Validation and Start-up Fund and Ohio State and is administered by the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge's Innovation and Commercialization team.
Accelerator Awards bridge the gap between academic research projects and market-ready technologies. Funding supports milestone driven projects that have advanced beyond basic research and need to validate and demonstrate the commercial viability of a technology. Projects must be completed within a 12-month period and at the conclusion of an Accelerator Award, the goal is to launch a startup company based in Ohio that licenses the technology.
Up to $1 million is available each year to fund multiple projects. Applicants should request only the funds necessary and critical to perform the work required to complete external validation and de-risking activities.
All technologies are eligible to apply for up to $100,000 in funds. Some biomedical projects may require greater resources and proposals focused on creating a healthcare product regulated by the FDA may be eligible to request a budget up to a maximum of $150,000.
The program selects technologies at the appropriate development stage with a viable market opportunity, have reasonable opportunity to commercialize through a startup company, and are within the Ohio Third Frontier technology focus areas.
The Accelerator Award application process consists of three rounds: a pre-proposal, a full application by invitation and a pitch presentation by invitation.
Spring 2025 Cycle |
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Pre-proposal due date | March 14, 2025 |
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Finalist invited to submit full application | Mid-April, 2025 |
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Full application due (invitation only) | May 26, 2025 |
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Pitch presentations (invitation only) | Anticipated mid-late June 2025 |
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Funding Recommendation Notices | Anticipated by July 2025 |
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Funding Projects start | August-September 2025 |
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Register now for pre-proposal information sessions (virtual). Sessions start onFebruary 20, 2025. Click here for more information and register for zoom sessions .
Application materials
For questions or to be notified of key cycle dates email accelerator_awards@osu.edu.