Bridging Research and Start‑Ups: Foundation BRAG

About Foundation BRAG

The Foundation Bull Ring Accelerator Grant Program ("Foundation BRAG") is designed to support early-stage startup companies formed on the basis of licensed USF technologies. Foundation BRAG provides up to $25,000 of grant funding per company to bridge the "valley of death" experienced by early-stage technology companies — the point between when academic research funding runs out and when a team is credible enough, with sufficient customer and market knowledge, to raise private capital or partner with existing companies.

This BRAG program has been in existence since 2016 and during that time it has granted $650,000 to 26 companies. These companies have gone on to raise more than $7.5 million from outside sources, proof of the incredible power of our grant dollars. Past technologies that have been funded by Foundation BRAG include a cutting-edge tool to analyze the vulnerability of chatbots to security risks, clinical instruments improving the delivery of therapeutic molecules, and renewable energy capture and storage.

Grants, like Foundation BRAG, create a space where bold ideas can take shape and future innovation can thrive at USF. By empowering researchers and entrepreneurs to explore what’s next, these initiatives help transform curiosity into momentum and potential into progress. This early encouragement drives a culture of creativity and collaboration, strengthening USF’s role as a launchpad for discovery, impact and innovation.

Your Impact

Many startup research companies are impacted by major gaps in funding that delay discovery and innovation. This gap is often experienced between when a technology/research company runs out of academic research funds and when a team is credible enough to access private capital. Your gift to Foundation BRAG ensures we can fill that gap in funding, not to replace private capital, but to help reduce risk as startups develop to a point where they can attract other sources of funding. develop to a point where they can attract other sources of funding. You will also be contributing to an important piece of the innovation infrastructure at USF — a large and growing community.

A generous donor is championing our project this Giving Week with a dollar‑for‑dollar match! Every gift made to this project will be matched — doubling your impact — through the end of Giving Week. Don’t miss this chance to maximize your support for our Bulls!

USF Faculty and Staff: You can give online through this site or complete this payroll deduction form (enter fund #520037, Bull Ring Accelerator Program (BRAG)) and email it to fscampaign@usf.edu.

Who We Are Sponsored By

Foundation BRAG is a joint venture between the USF Research Foundation and the USF Foundation. The USF Research Foundation was established to promote, encourage and advance the research activities of university staff, faculty and students. Housed in the USF Research Park, we are a hub for biotechnology, life sciences research and entrepreneurship that includes interdisciplinary labs, offices and community partners. The Research Park brings scientists and entrepreneurs side-by-side to share innovations and make advancements that succeed in both the laboratory and in the marketplace to enhance USF, promote scientific discoveries and boost the economy.

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Your support fuels USF’s emerging researchers and entrepreneurs, helping their ideas grow from the lab to the marketplace. This #USFGivingWeek, join us in advancing USF research! usf.to/BRAG

Thank you and go Bulls! 🤘