UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Faculty researchers are invited to submit letters of intent for the 2026 cycle of the Penn State Commercialization GAP Fund, which provides targeted funding and support to help move promising research closer to commercialization. To be eligible, the principal investigator must be a full-time researcher at Penn State. The deadline for submitting is Sept. 29.
An information session about the Commercialization GAP Fund will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 8 via Zoom.
The Commercialization GAP Fund is designed to bridge the gap between promising research innovations and their readiness for market entry. The program provides investigators with funding and other support to advance prototypes, validate technologies, conduct market assessments, and reduce technical and commercial risk ultimately moving projects to a stage sufficient to attract a commercial licensee or investor.
“The GAP Fund continues to play a critical role in helping our faculty translate research into real-world impact,” said Andrew Read, senior vice president for research at Penn State. “By supporting projects at a pivotal stage of development, we’re giving our innovators the resources they need to take bold ideas from the lab to the marketplace, where they can drive economic growth and improve lives.”
Administered by the Office of Technology Transfer, the GAP Fund focuses on projects that address unmet needs in the marketplace and show strong commercial potential. The goal is to attract investment interest within three years. Grants of up to $75,000 in direct costs for one year are available.
Important dates for the 2026 cycle include:
- Letter of intent deadline: Sept. 29, 2025
- Full proposals due: Nov. 30, 2025
- Oral presentations: March 24, 2026
- Award notification: April 2026
- Funding start date: July 2026
Letter of intent submission guidelines
Researchers interested in applying should include the following information in their letter of intent:
- Title of the invention
- A 250-word summary of the technology
- Intellectual property status and invention disclosure number
- Any competitive landscape analysis completed
- Interest shown by potential licensees, investors or entrepreneurs — support letters encouraged
- How the GAP funding will be used
For more information or to submit a letter of intent, visit the GAP Fund webpage or the INFOReady Page.
For questions, contact the Penn State Commercialization GAP Fund at GAPFund@psu.edu or 814-865-6277.