The Accelerator Awards program provides grant funding to advance the translation of Ohio State innovations from the university to the marketplace through 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 Innovation and Commercialization at The Ohio State University.
The program bridges 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.
One million dollars 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.
Fall 2024 Cycle |
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Pre-proposal due date | November 1, 2024 |
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Finalist invited to submit full application | Late November 2024 |
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Full application due (invitation only) | January 10, 2025 |
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Pitch presentations (invitation only) | Anticipated early February 2025 |
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Funding Recommendation Notices | Anticipated late Feb 2025 |
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Funding Projects start | March-April 2025 |
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Register now for pre-proposal information sessions (virtual). Sessions start on September 26, 2024. 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.