About this programme
The Innovation Advancement Fund (IAF) is a proof-of-concept funding program run by NUtech Ventures, with support from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Office of Research and Innovation, to help UNL researchers advance promising technologies from the lab toward the marketplace. It targets technology validation, the milestone-driven work that closes the gap between a discovery and something a company can commercialize, rather than basic research that traditional grants already cover.
The Office of Research and Innovation funds the base program at $100,000 a year, and individual colleges add their own top-ups for projects in their area. Between 5 and 10 awards go out per cycle.
How it works
A base award of up to $20,000 per project comes from the central fund. Projects tied to specific colleges can add more: up to $20,000 more from the Agricultural Research Division, $10,000 from the College of Engineering, or $5,000 from the College of Arts and Sciences.
Awards run 6 to 12 months, starting November 1, 2026 for the current cycle. Money can go toward prototype development, pilot studies, technical validation, data collection and analysis, performance testing, and supplies or on-campus research, but not toward salary support, consulting services or travel.
Recipients must complete NSF I-Corps training before or during the project, file a mid-project progress report (at 6 months for a one-year award), file a final report within 15 days of the project's end, and return any unspent funds. Projects showing insufficient progress can be ended early.
Who can apply
The principal investigator must be full-time UNL faculty, and the technology must be owned by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and formally disclosed to NUtech Ventures. Graduate students, postdocs and co-investigators can join the project team, but each PI may submit one proposal per cycle and hold only one active award at a time.
How to apply
- Use the required proposal template from NUtech Ventures.
- Prepare a project description, current technology status, scope of work, budget with justification, project milestones, and a commercialization strategy and exit pathway.
- Submit through NuRamp's Internal Competitions module at nuramp.nebraska.edu by the deadline.
- The 2026 cycle deadline was Tuesday, September 15, 2026, 5pm CT; late submissions were rejected.
Documents you’ll typically need
- Required proposal template (from NUtech Ventures)
- Project budget with use justification
Frequently asked
Who is eligible to apply?
Full-time UNL faculty whose technology is owned by the university and has been formally disclosed to NUtech Ventures. Each PI can submit one proposal per cycle and hold only one active award at a time.
What can the funding pay for?
Prototype development, pilot studies, technical validation, data collection and analysis, performance testing, and research supplies, but not salaries, consulting or travel.
When is the current round's deadline?
The 2026 cycle closed September 15, 2026 at 5pm CT; the fund reopens on its next annual cycle.
What do award recipients have to do?
Complete NSF I-Corps training, submit a mid-project progress report and a final report within 15 days of the project ending, and return any unspent funds.
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Reviewed 2026-09-25. Programmes change, so check eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official page before you apply. CapEasy is a private firm and is not part of any government body.