What type of projects are typically eligible for NSF’s PFI program?

The NSF’s PFI (Partnerships for Innovation) program is specifically designed to support initiatives that aim to translate innovative academic research funded by the NSF into practical applications that can benefit society. This program emphasizes the importance of taking foundational research and transforming it into commercially viable technologies or practices.

Projects that are eligible for this program typically engage in bridging the gap between scientific discovery and its real-world implementation, thus fostering collaboration between academia and industry. This makes them highly relevant and aligned with the mission of the PFI program.

While theoretical studies and projects that lack collaboration may have their own merits, they do not meet the core objective of the PFI program, which is to catalyze the translation of research into actionable solutions through partnership and innovation. Additionally, projects that do not relate to academic research fall outside the intended scope of the program.