Sustainable Vision grants

Sustainable Vision grants fund educational programs in which technologies are created and commercialized to benefit people living in poverty.

  • Up to $50,000
  • Grant period: one to three years
  • Who may apply: Faculty from NCIIA member institutions

Upcoming submission deadline: November 8, 2013

Program overview
Since 2006, over 60 Sustainable Vision grants have been made to innovate, commercialize, and distribute technologies in the US and 30 countries throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Grantees have access to funding and rigorous venture development support including workshops, mentoring, and a network of advisors, entrepreneurs, faculty, and students.

Note that, effective this fall, the Sustainable Vision grants program now focuses on supporting educational programs only. If you are part of a team focused on the development and deployment of a specific technology-based solution to poverty alleviation, you may be eligible to apply for NCIIA’s NEW E-Team Program.

Is a Sustainable Vision grant for you?
Competitive Sustainable Vision proposals:

  • create and improve new or existing university courses, certificate programs, minors, majors, and/or extracurricular programs with a focus on technology invention and innovation to address poverty alleviation and basic human needs.
  • result in the formation of multidisciplinary and entrepreneurial E-Teams* to develop inventions and innovations to address critical global problems.
  • establish a network of faculty and students in the US and beyond who are working to solve large global problems with technology solutions and an entrepreneurial approach.

*What's an E-Team?
NCIIA defines an E-Team as a multidisciplinary group of students, faculty, and industry mentors working together to bring a technology-based invention (product or service) to market. The "E" stands for entrepreneurship.

Program guidelines
Read the guidelines before you apply!

The answers to most of your questions are in the program guidelines---program details and deadlines; how to apply; examples of eligible technologies; selection criteria; information about how to apply, and more.

How to apply
Click here to apply. Detailed instructions and information about the application process can be found in the program guidelines.

You may preview a PDF of the online application here. 
PLEASE NOTE: this PDF includes screen shots of NCIIA's five-step proposal process. The proposal content shown may vary slightly from the Sustainable Vision grant proposal, but steps for the application are the same. This PDF is for preview purposes only.

Have an idea but not sure whether it's a fit with the E-Team Program? Send a 1-2 paragraph summary to grants@nciia.org and we'd be happy to review it and provide you with feedback. Please note that due to high volume, we are unable to guarantee replies to last-minute inquiries made less than two weeks prior to the proposal deadline. 

Sustainable Vision Connect
Sustainable Vision Connect is an international community of educators addressing global challenges through tech- and market-based innovation. Join now, it's free!