The University of Southern California’s Office of Research and Innovation (OORI) has launched a unified internal funding pipeline to better support faculty and researchers through the full arc of research and innovation — from foundational inquiry to real-world application.
By consolidating previously separate initiatives like the Research Catalyst Program (RCP) and the Innovation Catalyst Program (ICP), the pipeline provides comprehensive resources that span early proof-of-concept funding, interdisciplinary research, proposal development, and strategic investment in shared infrastructure. The redesigned structure includes multiple submission cycles and topic areas ranging from sustainability and artificial intelligence to preliminary studies and instrumentation support.
For university technology commercialization teams, gap fund and accelerator programs, and early-stage investors, this unified model offers a more predictable and navigable pathway for identifying and supporting translational opportunities. It signals a broader trend in which universities orchestrate internal funding pipelines that complement gap funding, startup accelerators, and university venture funds — ultimately reinforcing early-stage innovation and research commercialization.
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Related Topics: university gap fund and accelerator programs, startup accelerator, technology commercialization, university venture fund, translational research, early-stage university innovation, venture studio design
