Grant funding that advances Ohio State innovations to the marketplace
Accelerator Awards fund technologies that have moved beyond basic lab research and help bridge the gap between basic lab research and market-ready technologies through demonstration of commercial viability, position them to secure external interest and establish an Ohio-based startup company. The program is funded by Ohio State and the Ohio Third Frontier and is administered by the Innovation and Commercialization Team. Up to $1 million is available each year to fund multiple projects.
Award Funding Cycle
Timeline
- Pre-proposal due date | Monday, October 13, 2025
- Finalists invited to submit full proposal | Mid-November
- Full proposal due (by invitation) | Friday, January 9, 2026
- Pitch presentations (by invitation) | Early-to-mid February 2026
- Funding notice | Mid-February 2026
- Funded Projects Start| April 1, 2026
Eligibility and Funding
Technologies must be within the Ohio Third Frontier technology focus areas: software/information technology; biomedical/life sciences; advanced materials or manufacturing; sensors; or energy. Awarded technologies will also be at the appropriate development stage, have a viable market opportunity and a reasonable opportunity to commercialize through a startup company.
Program Eligibility
Technologies must have an invention disclosure filed and be under active management by an assigned licensing officer. Potential applicants should reach out to their licensing manager at least 30 days before the due date to find out if the technology is at the right stage and for help in the process. Technologies with industry sponsorship, research grant support, investment partners or technologies that are the subject of a TVSF Phase 2 award are ineligible for Accelerator Awards funding.
Intellectual property (IP) protection (patent pending or patent issued), must be in place prior to the full application deadline. Copyrighted materials, including software, are eligible if the Ohio State Innovation Foundation (OSIF) has the right to commercialize the copyrighted materials via an exclusive license agreement. If the technology is jointly owned with another academic institution, OSIF must be designated as the lead institution in commercializing the technology under a fully-executed inter-institutional agreement.
The principal investigator (PI) must be Ohio State faculty or staff with PI status. Post-docs and Ohio State staff are eligible to apply as co-PIs. Applicants can only be named as PI or co-PI per cycle and a PI may only have one Accelerator Award project at a time.
Funding and Budget
Technologies are eligible to apply for up to $100,000 in funds, or up to $150,000 for biomedical or FDA-regulated products. Funds must be used to perform validation activities of technologies that have already demonstrated proof-of-concept when capital from investment partners has not yet been secured, and applicants should request only the funds necessary and critical to perform the validation work.
Utilizing third-party industry expertise makes technologies more attractive for commercialization and add-on funding. A maximum of 25% of the total project budget may be allocated to performing lab work and 75% of project expenditures must be spent with independent third-party service providers. Equipment may be requested, but please contact the program before submitting an application to enquire about eligibility. See the Accelerator Awards RFP (link) for details about allowable expenses.
Application, Process and Cycle Dates
The Accelerator Award application process consists of three rounds: a pre-proposal, a full application by invitation and a pitch presentation by invitation.
For questions or to be notified of key cycle dates email accelerator_awards@osu.edu
Pre-proposal
Deadline: Monday, Oct. 13 2025 by 5 p.m.
Applicants must use the pre-proposal template that includes general information about the technology, competition, market opportunity, commercialization path, IP position, project milestones and team members. Pre-proposals that do not advance will receive notification via email and may request feedback. Screening notifications will be emailed in mid-November.
Full Applications
Deadline: Friday, January 9, 2026 by 5 p.m.
Pre-proposals that advance will be notified by email and invited to submit a more in-depth version of the pre-proposal. Finalists must engage with an industry expert to help refine the commercialization objectives of the project to submit a strong, commercially-focused milestone plan, with third-party vendors identified and an industry letter of support. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to include budget supporting documents and up to three letters of support from potential licensees or commercialization partners.
Pitch Presentations
early to mid-February 2026
Invited finalists will make a 10-minute pitch presentation to the external Accelerator Awards selection committee about how the proposed project will accelerate the commercialization of the technology, and allow for an additional 15-minutes for questions and answers.
Award Notices
mid-February 2026
Funding decisions are made by the Ohio Third Frontier, based upon recommendations of the Accelerator Awards selection committee and will be communicated. Those not selected for an award will be provided with feedback from the selection committee via email along with any recommended resources or alternative strategies to support the commercialization of the project.
Project Start
Date (April 1, 2026)
Each project lasts a maximum of 12 months beginning on the project start date. The project scope must encompass activities that can be completed within a period of 12 months.