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NSF Launches Tips Dashboard to Map Small-Business Funding Opportunities

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  Published in Science and Technology on Wednesday, December 3rd 2025 at 4:11 GMT by GovCon Wire

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NSF Tips Investments Pilot: New Dashboard Gives Contractors a Clear View of Small‑Business Funding Opportunities

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has long been a driving force behind the United States’ competitive edge in science, engineering, and technology. In a bid to strengthen its partnership with the private sector, NSF has rolled out a new “Tips” (Technology Integration & Partnerships for Small‑Business) initiative that promises to accelerate the commercialization of research breakthroughs. The latest development – a public‑facing dashboard – offers contracting officers and small‑business owners alike a granular look at the program’s investments, performance, and future priorities.

The Genesis of the Tips Pilot

NSF’s Tips program was conceived in 2019 as a way to bridge the “valley of death” that often separates a laboratory prototype from a market‑ready product. By providing seed‑level funding, technical assistance, and a conduit to federal procurement, Tips seeks to turn high‑impact research into revenue‑generating commercial ventures. The program is administered through the Office of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Office of Technology Transfer (OTR).

Over the past two years, NSF has tested three pilot projects in partnership with five federal agencies: the Department of Defense, NASA, the Department of Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Institutes of Health. Each pilot focuses on a distinct technology domain – from advanced materials to artificial intelligence – and has attracted more than $250 million in funding commitments.

The Dashboard: A Data‑First Approach

In June, NSF announced the public release of its Tips Investments Pilot Dashboard, a web‑based portal that aggregates data from all pilot projects and offers a range of visualization tools. The dashboard was built with the input of the Department of Defense’s Data Science Office and is designed to be both intuitive for end users and transparent for oversight bodies.

Key features of the dashboard include:

Users can drill down from a national overview to individual project dashboards, allowing contracting officers to quickly identify promising opportunities that align with their agency’s procurement priorities.

What the Data Tells Us

Since its launch, the dashboard has surfaced a number of striking insights:

1. Geographic Concentration – Approximately 72 % of the pilot’s investment has flowed to the Midwest and Southwest regions, reflecting the concentration of high‑tech start‑ups in states such as Texas, Colorado, and Indiana. This distribution aligns with NSF’s strategic goal of promoting technology development in under‑served regions.

2. Technology Focus – The highest‑funded domains are materials science (28 % of total funding) and artificial intelligence/machine learning (24 %). These areas have historically shown strong industry demand and a high likelihood of cross‑agency use.

3. Commercialization Progress – Roughly 63 % of the projects have reached the “pilot test” stage, while 28 % are already in commercial production. The remaining 9 % are still in prototype or exploratory phases. The dashboard indicates that projects backed by both SBIR and OTR funding tend to advance faster, suggesting a synergistic effect between research and commercial pathways.

4. Cost‑Efficiency – Across the board, direct cost expenditures outstrip indirect costs, with a ratio of 3.8:1. This ratio is consistent with the expectations of the National Research Council, which has long argued that direct costs provide a more accurate measure of research progress.

How the Dashboard Supports Policy and Oversight

One of the primary motivations for NSF’s public dashboard is to meet the demands of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Federal Funding for Science and Technology. By making data on allocations, outcomes, and timelines readily available, NSF hopes to:

• Improve Accountability – Stakeholders can verify that funds are being used efficiently and that projects meet their stated objectives.
• Facilitate Inter‑Agency Collaboration – By highlighting technologies that have dual‑use potential, the dashboard encourages agencies to pool resources and jointly procure the resulting products.
• Guide Future Funding Priorities – Aggregated data on success rates and market impact will inform NSF’s next‑round funding decisions, ensuring that limited federal resources are directed toward high‑payoff areas.

In a recent press release, NSF’s Acting Director for Innovation and Commercialization, Dr. Emily Rodriguez, emphasized that “the dashboard is not just a reporting tool; it’s a decision‑making engine that will help us identify where our money can do the most good.”

Practical Take‑Away for Small‑Business Owners

Small‑business entrepreneurs should pay close attention to the dashboard’s “Success Stories” section. These narratives provide real‑world examples of how firms can capitalize on Tips funding, including:

• Securing Follow‑On Investment – Many firms used Tips seed money to attract venture capital, resulting in over $60 million in private investment.
• Leveraging Agency Procurement – By partnering with agencies that are early adopters of the new technology, firms can secure long‑term contracts that support scaling efforts.
• Accessing Technical Support – Tips includes a mentorship program where industry experts guide businesses through regulatory compliance, product design, and commercialization strategy.

What’s Next?

NSF plans to extend the dashboard’s capabilities in the coming year. Upcoming enhancements will include:

• AI‑Powered Recommendation Engine – A predictive model that suggests which small‑business projects have the highest likelihood of successful commercialization.
• Real‑Time Funding Alerts – Push notifications for businesses when new grants or contracts become available in their technology domain.
• Enhanced Collaboration Tools – Features that enable agencies to co‑host workshops and webinars directly from the dashboard.

Bottom Line

The NSF Tips Investments Pilot Dashboard marks a significant leap forward in how federal agencies manage and monitor the commercialization of scientific research. By providing a clear, data‑rich view of funding flows, project milestones, and outcomes, the dashboard empowers contractors, small‑business owners, and policymakers alike to make informed decisions that accelerate technology transfer and drive economic growth. As the federal procurement ecosystem increasingly seeks to bridge the gap between research and market, tools like this dashboard will be indispensable for ensuring that public investment translates into tangible benefits for the nation.