Opportunity Information: Apply for 22 566
The NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Hubs Program is a National Science Foundation grant opportunity designed to strengthen the United States innovation ecosystem by helping scientific and engineering discoveries move more quickly and more reliably from research labs into real-world technologies, products, processes, and services. Building on the I-Corps program NSF launched in 2011, the central aim is to reduce both the time and the risk involved in commercialization, while also boosting US economic competitiveness, encouraging stronger collaboration between academia and industry, and training NSF-supported researchers (faculty, students, postdocs, and other researchers) in practical innovation and entrepreneurship skills.
A defining feature of I-Corps is its focus on experiential learning, especially customer discovery and industry discovery. Rather than starting with assumptions about who might buy or use a new technology, I-Corps emphasizes direct engagement with potential customers, partners, and other stakeholders to test real needs, constraints, and adoption pathways. This approach is meant to quickly assess a technology's translational and commercial potential, including whether it can realistically become a sustainable venture. The program is especially oriented toward "deep technologies," meaning innovations rooted in fundamental advances in science and engineering, where the path from basic research to market impact can be technically complex and commercially uncertain. In practice, the Hubs model is meant to address a common gap in the research-to-market pipeline: talented research teams may have strong technical results but limited exposure to market dynamics, customer requirements, regulatory realities, manufacturing considerations, and business-model risk.
Structurally, this solicitation represents NSF's shift from the earlier I-Corps framework, where Nodes and Sites were funded as separate components of the National Innovation Network (NIN). Those older Node and Site solicitations have been archived, and the Hubs model, introduced in 2020 and updated with lessons learned from I-Corps' first decade, replaces them with a more integrated operating approach. This transition also aligns with congressional direction in the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (AICA, Public Law 114-329, Sec. 601), which formally authorized and encouraged expansion of I-Corps. Under the Hubs model, NSF is aiming for a structure that can operate sustainably at larger scale, with fewer disconnected parts and a clearer regional backbone for delivering training and ecosystem engagement.
An I-Corps Hub is a consortium of institutions of higher education that work together across a defined geographic region, typically sharing common innovation goals and regional challenges. Each Hub is organized around a single NSF award made to a Lead institution that manages operations, along with an initial set of seven Partner institutions that help deliver programming and achieve Hub objectives. The Hub concept is not just a single campus program; it is intended to be a coordinated regional platform that connects researchers to the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem, including industry, investors, mentors, workforce partners, and other innovation stakeholders. NSF allows two general participation pathways: Track 1 proposals come from organizations with prior I-Corps experience (former Nodes and Sites), while Track 2 proposals are for institutions that are new to I-Corps and want to lead a Hub for the first time.
A key growth requirement is that each Hub must add at least one New Partner Institution (NPI) every year. NPIs are higher-education institutions that join an existing Hub after it is established, expanding the Hub's reach and strengthening the regional network. Funding support for NPIs is expected to come through supplemental funding rather than being fully embedded in the initial Hub award. NPIs are expected to coordinate closely with the Hub and show that their proposed activities align with the Hub's objectives and expected outcomes, reinforcing the idea that a Hub is a single integrated effort rather than a loose collection of independent programs.
In terms of funding and administrative details, this opportunity is a discretionary NSF grant program (Funding Opportunity Number 22-566) within the science and technology research and development category. The solicitation lists an award ceiling of $60,000,000, anticipates making about 4 awards, and includes multiple NSF CFDA numbers (47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, 47.079, 47.083), reflecting NSF's broad disciplinary footprint. The opportunity was created on February 8, 2022, with an original closing date of May 11, 2022. Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others" with further clarification expected in the full solicitation, which is consistent with NSF programs that often specify eligibility in detail within the program text rather than in the summary field.
Finally, NSF signals that it expects to announce a Hub renewal process later, potentially allowing up to five additional years of support for existing Hubs that can demonstrate meaningful regional and national impact on the innovation ecosystem. Taken together, the program is positioned as a long-term infrastructure investment: building regional consortia that can repeatedly train research teams in evidence-based commercialization methods, deepen academia-industry connections, and increase the chances that publicly funded research leads to tangible societal and economic benefits.Apply for 22 566
- The National Science Foundation in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "NSF Innovation Corps Hubs Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 47.041, 47.049, 47.050, 47.070, 47.074, 47.075, 47.076, 47.079, 47.083.
- This funding opportunity was created on Feb 08, 2022.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 11, 2022. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $60,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development
Next opportunity: Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants
Previous opportunity: Connecting Kids to Coverage HEALTHY KIDS 2022 Outreach and Enrollment Cooperative Agreements
Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for 22 566
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (22 566) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Post Construction Monitoring and Habitat Assessment of Gulf Sturgeon in Response to Ship Island Restoration Efforts by the Mississippi Coastal Improvements Program Apply for W81EWF 22 SOI 0008 Funding Number: W81EWF 22 SOI 0008 Agency: Department of Defense, Engineer Research and Development Center Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $173,000 |
| Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI) Apply for FOA AFRL AFOSR 2022 0003 Funding Number: FOA AFRL AFOSR 2022 0003 Agency: Department of Defense, Air Force Office of Scientific Research Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Department of Defense Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI)- Army Submission Apply for W911NF 22 S 0007 Funding Number: W911NF 22 S 0007 Agency: Department of Defense, Dept of the Army -- Materiel Command Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $1,500,000 |
| Solar, Heliospheric, and INterplanetary Environment Apply for 22 570 Funding Number: 22 570 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Algorithms for Modern Power Systems Apply for 22 569 Funding Number: 22 569 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Spectrum and Wireless Innovation enabled by Future Technologies Apply for 22 571 Funding Number: 22 571 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) Program: Center on Knowledge Translation for Disability and Rehabilitation Research Apply for HHS 2022 ACL NIDILRR DPKT 0030 Funding Number: HHS 2022 ACL NIDILRR DPKT 0030 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science: ROSES-2022 Apply for NNH22ZDA001N Funding Number: NNH22ZDA001N Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA Headquarters Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| ROSES 2022: Land-Cover/Land-Use Change Apply for NNH22ZDA001N LCLUC Funding Number: NNH22ZDA001N LCLUC Agency: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA Headquarters Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Training-based Workforce Development for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Apply for 22 574 Funding Number: 22 574 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $5,000,000 |
| Bilateral Policy Dialogue to Counter Disinformation - U.S.-Japan Think Tank Collaboration Apply for TOKYO PAS FY22 01 22 Funding Number: TOKYO PAS FY22 01 22 Agency: Department of State, U.S. Mission to Japan Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $70,000 |
| WILDLAND FIRE PROGRAM SUPPORT ARMY NATIONAL GUARD (ARNG) Apply for W9126G 22 2 SOI 1864 Funding Number: W9126G 22 2 SOI 1864 Agency: Department of Defense, Fort Worth District Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $675,000 |
| Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions Apply for 22 575 Funding Number: 22 575 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND FOX MONITORING AND VETERINARY AND PATHOLOGY SERVICES Apply for W9126G 22 2 SOI 1375 Funding Number: W9126G 22 2 SOI 1375 Agency: Department of Defense, Fort Worth District Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $1,545,615 |
| Research Security Training for the United States (U.S.) Research Community Apply for 22 576 Funding Number: 22 576 Agency: National Science Foundation Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| FY22 DoD Research and Education Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions Apply for N00014 22 S F005 Funding Number: N00014 22 S F005 Agency: Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $9,000,000 |
| CRANFOA-22-0001 Apply for N00164 22 1 1001 Funding Number: N00164 22 1 1001 Agency: Department of Defense, NSWC - CRANE Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $400,000 |
| Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERC) Program: RERC on Blindness and Low Vision Apply for HHS 2022 ACL NIDILRR REGE 0023 Funding Number: HHS 2022 ACL NIDILRR REGE 0023 Agency: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $925,000 |
| FY 2022 SBIR/STTR Phase II Release 2 Apply for DE FOA 0002572 Funding Number: DE FOA 0002572 Agency: Department of Energy - Office of Science, Office of Science Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $1,600,000 |
| Competitive Academic Agreement Program (CAAP) Apply for 693JK322NF0003 Funding Number: 693JK322NF0003 Agency: Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Admin Category: Science and Technology and other Research and Development Funding Amount: $1,000,000 |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Inside Our Applicants Portal
Access Applicants Portal
- Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
- Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
- Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Learn More
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "22 566", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.