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Proof of Concept Commercialization Pilot Program (W911NF-16-R-0016) - FAQs

1) What is the Proof of Concept Commercialization Pilot Program?

The Proof of Concept Commercialization Pilot Program (Funding Opportunity Number W911NF-16-R-0016) is a Department of Defense (DoD) initiative run through DOD-AMC. It is designed for researchers with DoD-funded research results who want to move those results closer to real-world use by testing commercialization and transition pathways.

2) Is this program just a small supplemental research grant?

No. While it includes modest funding, the program is structured as a commercialization accelerator under the I-Corps @ DoD model. It combines hands-on training, dedicated mentoring, and funding to help principal investigators and their teams validate real needs and reduce commercialization risk.

3) What kinds of projects is this opportunity meant to support?

It targets early-stage innovations and outcomes from fundamental (basic) research that were created under DoD research grants. The purpose is to push beyond lab results by identifying practical applications and building an informed path toward technology transition and adoption.

4) Who is the intended audience for this program?

The program targets researchers who already hold, or have recently held, DoD research grants and want to explore whether their research outcomes could become viable products or services. It is specifically framed around principal investigators and their teams.

5) What is the main purpose of the program?

The core purpose is to speed up the transition of knowledge from fundamental research into outcomes that can attract follow-on support from outside sources, such as industry partners or other third-party funders. The program emphasizes clarifying customer or end-user needs and strengthening the case for adoption, scaling, and support.

6) What does "I-Corps @ DoD model" mean in this context?

In this opportunity, it means the program operates like a structured commercialization accelerator rather than a traditional research award. It focuses on training, mentoring, and customer discovery-style validation to test whether a research result maps to a real problem and a credible transition path.

7) What are the stated goals of the program?

The opportunity lists several goals: (1) spur the transition of fundamental research into use so advances do not stall at publication or proof-of-principle, (2) encourage collaboration between academia and industry, and (3) provide training and educational value by developing innovation and entrepreneurship skills for students and research teams.

8) What kinds of skills or learning outcomes does the program emphasize?

The program includes an educational mission that emphasizes practical skills related to innovation and entrepreneurship, including customer discovery, value proposition development, and early business and transition considerations that influence whether a technology is deployed.

9) Does the program encourage working with industry?

Yes. A key theme is encouraging collaboration between academia and industry, recognizing that successful transitions often require industry insight, development expertise, manufacturing capability, regulatory know-how, or access to distribution channels that universities may not have.

10) What funding category does this opportunity fall under?

This is described as a discretionary grant opportunity in the science and technology and other research and development category.

11) What is the CFDA number for this program?

The opportunity lists CFDA 12.630.

12) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are limited to public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, consistent with the program focus on academic researchers and their teams.

13) Are non-university organizations eligible applicants under this listing?

Based on the information provided, eligibility is limited to institutions of higher education (public/state-controlled and private). No other applicant types are mentioned as eligible in the provided description.

14) What is the maximum award amount?

The opportunity lists an award ceiling of $70,000.

15) How many awards were anticipated?

The opportunity anticipated making about 6 awards.

16) When was the opportunity posted and when did it close?

The posting and creation dates were May 5, 2016, and the application closing date was September 15, 2016.

17) What is the program trying to reduce or de-risk?

The program is designed to reduce commercialization risk by validating real customer or end-user problems, identifying practical applications, and building evidence and rationale that the technology can be adopted, scaled, and supported.

18) What does "proof of concept and commercialization readiness" mean here?

In this context, it refers to using a relatively small amount of funding plus structured mentorship and training to determine the most promising application paths, strengthen industry-relevant evidence, and position innovations for the next stage of development and external investment.

19) What outcomes is DoD looking for from teams that participate?

The opportunity emphasizes outcomes such as clarified customer needs, validated application pathways, stronger transition arguments, and positioning the innovation to attract follow-on support from industry partners or other third-party funders.

20) What agency runs this program?

It is a Department of Defense initiative, run through DOD-AMC.