The Insider: Researchers, Inventors and Creators Edition—September 2025

Featured Opportunities

Tuesday, Sept. 16, Jan. 20, May 19 (deadlines) | National Science Foundation Translation to Practice-Translate (NSF TTP-T)—Supporting projects that build on early translational work to refine ideas, improve solutions and reduce barriers to moving research from the lab into real-world use.

Tuesday, Sept. 16, Jan. 20, May 19 (deadlines) | National Science Foundation Translation to Partner-Translate (NSF TTP-P)—Supporting translational efforts that demand one or more partnerships for technology development and deployment.

Rolling Deadline |National Science Foundation Translation to Practice-Explore (NSF TTP-E)—Offers up to two additional years of funding on a current NSF award to support high-risk, use-inspired research and early translation efforts not included in the original project.

Receiving Applications | Leveraging Entrepreneurship to Accelerate Partnerships with Universities (LEAP-U)—An incubation program to mature technologies in North American universities towards commercialization.

More Opportunities

Friday, Sept. 5 (deadline) | Innosphere's Earth and Space Systems Accelerator—For early-stage Colorado-based earth and space system technical founders, startups from federal labs, university startups and entrepreneurs who are seeking to be a part of a collaborative environment and supportive business climate.

Sept. 8 (deadline) | Sept. 16-Oct. 14 | Colorado Bioscience Institute's Foundations of Leadership Workshop—For first-time leaders and scientists new to management, this workshop is designed to build the foundations of leadership by exploring the characteristics of leaders, effective communication and teamwork skills.

Wednesday, Sept. 17 | Pitch at the Colorado Startup Week Official Tech Showcase—Selected startups will have five minutes to demonstrate their technology and vision to an audience of investors, potential customers, partners and fellow founders.

Sept. 15-17 | Techstars Foundercon 2025—A three-day gathering in Boulder of 1,000+ founders, mentors, partners and community leaders from across the global network.

Wednesday, Sept. 24 |NSF ACSEND Engine in Colorado-Wyoming Digital Twins Accelerator Startup Showcase—Celebrate six cutting-edge startups pioneering solutions that leverage digital twinning to tackle some of today’s most pressing climate and infrastructure challenges.

Monday, Sept. 29 (deadline) | Climate Change Investment Initiative (2c2i)—Investing in and cultivating meaningful partnerships with startups focused on advancing climate change mitigation, adaptation and resiliency efforts, while also promoting social equality and economic prosperity, in Exelon’s service territories.

Friday, Oct. 31 (deadline) | ERDCWERX's Construction Engineering Research Laboratory CSO—Seeking innovative solutions or potential new capabilities, which may include existing technologies or procedures that are not currently in use, that would improve mission capabilities.

Nov. 19-21 | TechConnect's Defense Innovation Summit and Expo—The U.S.'s premier defense innovation event, connecting top dual-use solution providers with top military, industry and investment leadership.

Rolling Applications

OEDIT's Advanced Industries Accelerator Programs—Promoting growth and sustainability in Colorado’s advanced industries that increase the state's global competitiveness.

Calling International Student Entrepreneurs & Offering Support—Unshackled Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm focused exclusively on immigrant-founded startups.

NYSERDA's Building Better Homes Program—Expanding the capacity of builders and developers to construct and market zero emissions (all-electric) homes.

SBIR/STTR Funding—Funding is granted through many different agencies across the federal government and in various areas of innovation.

Techstars Accelerator Programs—Empowering entrepreneurs by providing access to mentorship, capital and a global network to help them succeed and scale their startups.

Various Deadlines

National Technology Alliance—A curated pipeline of vetted opportunities aligned with industry and national priorities from Catalyst Partners, government requirements and industry targets.

U.S. Federal Prize Competitions—Empowering the federal government and the public to participate together in equitable forms of innovation through prize competitions.

• AB Nexus announces 2025 grant awards with an emphasis on quantum-focused research collaborations
• Solving the dilemma of space dust: LASP researchers win prestigious NASA prize for dust mitigation instrument
• New quantum physics and AI-powered microchip design software awarded grants
• New cancer therapy clings to tumors, with inspiration from gecko toes
• U.S. Energy Department selects Kian Lopez of OsmoPure for West Gate Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program
• CU Boulder awards therapeutics funding to advance promising drug development projects

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