Binghamton University awarded $6M NSF grant to “accelerate the pace and scale of translational research”

“Binghamton is quickly becoming a national hub for innovation, and the NSF’s latest $6 million ART investment only builds on that momentum — amplifying the reach of Binghamton University’s cutting-edge research while supporting the education and training of New York’s future entrepreneurs,” U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said in the Binghamton announcement. “This federal funding is a true testament to the talented Binghamton students, professors and researchers and shows what I’ve known for a long time: that Binghamton University is ready to lead the charge in creating thousands of good-paying jobs, fueling innovation and growing our nation’s economy.”

The NSF TIP Directorate ART program, authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, addresses a “long-standing gap” between academic research and the products, services and solutions Americans need, the school said.

“The NSF ART project is an exciting opportunity for our campus,” Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger said in the release. “Binghamton’s growth trajectory and societal impact through research, entrepreneurship and economic-development activities will be further fueled by this investment.”

EXCEED in ART cohort

Binghamton’s Excellence in Entrepreneurship and Discovery (EXCEED) project will facilitate use-inspired and industry-informed research and development by “engaging” the research community across various disciplines, spanning engineering, physical and biomedical sciences.

Olga Petrova, director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships, led the proposal’s development.

“I am extremely honored by the selection of Binghamton EXCEED as part of the first ART cohort. As a scientist by training, I am particularly eager to work with our research community to support and empower them to translate their work into real-world applications,” Petrova said.

The Binghamton project aims to not only grow the capacity of the university research enterprise but also to promote regional entrepreneurship and economic benefits, the school said.

As part of the ART program, each recipient institution works with a mentoring university that already has a robust track record of translational research. Columbia University will be Binghamton’s mentor in the project, sharing resources, networks and best practices in research translation.

“NSF sees the ART program as one of the ways to boost the U.S. economy and create tangible societal impact,” NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said in the Binghamton news release.