The U.S. National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports science and engineering in all 50 states and U.S. territories. NSF was established in 1950 by Congress to promote the progress of science, advance the national health, prosperity and welfare, and secure the national defense.
The "Accelerating Research Translation" (ART) program by the National Science Foundation focuses on enhancing the capacity and infrastructure for translational research at U.S. Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs). Its goals include integrating these institutions into regional innovation ecosystems, providing training in translational research for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, and increasing the institutional capacity to transform fundamental research outcomes into practical applications. The ART program encourages proposals that build or strengthen institutional infrastructures for sustainable research translation, offer educational opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs and translational researchers, and engage in translational research activities with potential for immediate societal or economic impacts. It notably aims to establish a network of 'ART Ambassadors' to promote translational research efforts nationwide.