When Should You Bring in an Evaluator for NSF’s ART Program?

Your TL;DR: The NSF ART program requires institutions to prove impact, not just promise it. The earlier you involve an evaluator, the stronger your proposal. EBHC ensures your outcomes are measurable, credible, and aligned with NSF’s expectations.

Why Timing Matters

The Accelerating Research Translation (ART) program is all about helping institutions move discoveries from labs into real-world use. To compete for this funding, you must demonstrate not only activities but also measurable outcomes like patents, partnerships, workforce training, and translational capacity.

That requires evaluation from the very beginning.

The Risk of Waiting Too Long

Many institutions make the mistake of treating evaluation as an afterthought. Waiting until after a proposal is drafted—or worse, after it’s funded—can lead to:

  • Metrics that don’t align with NSF’s Research Translation Readiness (RTRL) indicators.
  • Evaluation plans that feel bolted on rather than integrated.
  • Proposals that look strong on paper but lack credibility in review.

When to Engage EBHC

The best time to bring EBHC into the process is before you submit your proposal. That way we can:

  • Co-develop evaluation frameworks that align with NSF’s RTRL measures.
  • Integrate evaluation language directly into your project narrative.
  • Strengthen your proposal’s credibility with reviewers who expect an independent, rigorous evaluation.
  • Prepare systems so you’re ready to track progress from Day 1 if funded.

When Should You Engage EBHC?

Evaluation is not just a compliance requirement—it is your proposal’s credibility marker. Engaging EBHC early ensures you are competitive, aligned, and ready to prove outcomes when NSF reviewers ask the tough questions.


Proposal deadlines are coming quickly—January 15, 2026 for Tracks 2 and 5, and March 12, 2026 for Tracks 1, 3, and 4. That means now is the time to finalize your evaluation strategy.

Working with EBHC early allows us to:

  • Design evaluation plans tailored to your track and capacity level.
  • Build metrics aligned with NSF’s Research Translation Readiness (RTRL) indicators.
  • Integrate evaluation into your proposal narrative before submission.

Don’t wait until the last minute. Reviewers know when evaluation is an afterthought. Bringing EBHC in now ensures your proposal is competitive and ready to prove impact.

Ready To Take the Next Step?

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We assist our clients in locating, applying for, and evaluating the outcomes of non-dilutive grant funding. We believe non-dilutive funding is a crucial tool for mitigating investment risks, and we are dedicated to guiding our clients through the entire process—from identifying the most suitable opportunities to submitting and managing grant applications.