Ecosystem Grants: April 2023

Welcome to the April 2023 Ecosystem Grants blog post! This is a monthly series in which we outline various funding opportunities that ecosystem builders can apply for in order to better support their stakeholders.

Here at EcoMap, we know how critical sources of funding are to the longevity of ecosystem building initiatives.

Whether it’s to provide physical infrastructure like space or digital infrastructure like ecosystem mapping tools (cough cough), these initiatives take time, money, and stakeholder buy-in in order to live up to their full potential. That's why government and foundation funding sources play a significant role in supporting ecosystem builders. In this blog post, we'll highlight some funding opportunities for ecosystem builders for the month of April 2023.

April is a little lighter on agency-provided grants, as there are no current opportunities open for ecosystem builders from the SBA or EDA. However, the NSF keeps churning out new opportunities to bolster regional innovation ecosystems, especially for universities, and we have found a fantastic grant to support Native American communities across the Great Plains.

And if one of these opportunities doesn’t apply to your work, please be sure to share it with a friend in need!

Without further ado, let’s dive in.

Bush Foundation Ecosystem Grants

Foundation Hosting: Bush Foundation

Link: https://www.bushfoundation.org/ecosystem-grants

Headline: A fantastic opportunity for any Native-led/supporting ecosystem building organizations across MN/ND/SD.!

Brief Description: The Bush Foundation works to inspire and support creative problem solving — within and across sectors — to make our region better for everyone. We know problem solving is hard. Our Ecosystem grant program provides operating support to the organizations that support the people doing this work across the following areas: providing critical data/analysis, advancing public awareness/policy, spreading great ideas/building capacity, and building/supporting leadership networks.

Eligibility: Grants must be used for a charitable purpose that supports people and organizations in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota or the 23 Native nations that share the same geography. Ecosystem grants may be awarded to 501(c)(3) public charities or government entities. Coalitions or collaborative efforts are eligible to apply, but only one organization may receive the grant. Organizations that do not have 501(c)(3) status may submit an application through a fiscal sponsor.

Award Amount: Up to $450,000 over three years in operating support

Deadline: April 13, 2023

Submission Requirements: Here is the official grant application portal

Partnerships for Innovation (PFI)

Agency Hosting: National Science Foundation (NSF)

Link: https://beta.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/partnerships-innovation-pfi-0

Headline: If you work to catalyze university innovation/tech transfer, especially across institutions, this is for you!

Brief Description: The Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) Program within the Division of Translational Impacts (TI) offers researchers from all disciplines of science and engineering funded by NSF the opportunity to perform translational research and technology development, catalyze partnerships and accelerate the transition of discoveries from the laboratory to the marketplace for societal benefit. One of the five broad goals is developing multi-disciplinary innovation ecosystems which involve and are responsive to the specific needs of academia and industry.

Eligibility: Academic / Research U.S. institutions; includes universities and two- and four-year colleges (including community colleges accredited in, and having a campus located in the United States, acting on behalf of their faculty members; Public or Non-profit, Non-academic U.S. organizations located in the United States that are directly associated with technology transfer activities (“Technology Transfer Organizations”);Non-profit U.S. organizations located in the United States that partner with an institution of higher education; or A U.S. consortium of 2 or more of the organizations described above.

Award Amount: Between 25-55 awards that offer between $550,000 and $1,000,000 (two different levels)

Deadline: May 2nd, 2023

Submission Requirements: Here are the solicitation details

Accelerating Research Translation (ART)

Agency Hosting: National Science Foundation (NSF)

Link: https://beta.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/accelerating-research-translation-art

Headline: A grant to help universities to plug grad/post doc researchers into their regional innovation ecosystems!

Brief Description: The primary goals of this program are to build capacity and infrastructure for translational research at U.S. Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) and to enhance their role in regional innovation ecosystems. In addition, this program seeks to effectively train graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in translational research, benefiting them across a range of career options.

Eligibility: Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) - Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members.

Award Amount: Up to 10 awards with up to $6,000,000 per award over 4 years

Deadline: May 9th, 2023

Submission Requirements: Here are the solicitation details

More capacity building funding opportunities for ecosystem builders are sure to be on the horizon soon - including some big programs from the EDA and SBA.

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