Ecosystem Grants: May 2023

Welcome to the May 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.

From providing physical infrastructure such as spaces to digital infrastructure like ecosystem mapping tools (hint hint), these endeavors require time, resources, and stakeholder commitment to reach their full potential. This is where government and foundation funding sources play a vital role in backing ecosystem builders. In this blog post, we will showcase some exciting funding opportunities for ecosystem builders for the month of May.

Over the past month, there have been new multi-million dollar initiatives announced such as the EDA's STEM Talent Challenge. And word on the street is some new programs such as the EDA Regional Tech Hub and Phase II of the NSF Regional Innovation Engine grant will open soon. When they do, we'll be sure to update this blog post with the latest information.

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.

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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

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STEM Talent Challenge

Agency Hosting: Economic Development Administration (EDA)

Link: https://www.eda.gov/funding/programs/stem-challenge

Headline: Unleash your region's potential with the STEM Talent Challenge: Empowering innovation ecosystems, boosting job creation, and fostering cutting-edge technologies for global competitiveness!

Brief Description: The STEM Talent Challenge is designed to help communities with implementing programs that align with the assessed needs of the region and its innovative businesses. Projects should implement or scale STEM competency-based, work-and-learn education and training models that are directly connected with the needs of employers in a regional economy

Eligibility: Cities, States, non-profits, colleges/universities, public-private partnerships, science or research parks, or consortia made up of the above entities. Basically anything except for-profit entities and individuals.

Award Amount: Up to $500,000 for implementation of a 24-month program. A 1:1 funding match is required.

Deadline: June 12th, 2023

Submission Requirements: Here are the solicitation details

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Consider this a placeholder for a very exciting opportunity that will be released shortly!

The EDA is planning to release the funding opportunity for the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (aka Tech Hubs) program in early May. While the full details have yet to roll out, the EDA released a Fact Sheet a couple of weeks ago with more information.

Check it out here.

Want to explore how an EcoMap can help you be competitive with these grant opportunities? Book a time below to chat!