ACerS Innovation Fund

ACerS Innovation Fund is sponsored by The American Ceramic Society. Supports bold new ideas from ACerS members to develop new revenue-generating products and services for the ceramics, glass, and materials community.

## Funding new ideas for the ceramics, glass, & materials community The American Ceramic Society has established the Innovation Fund to support bold new ideas from across our membership. The Fund will receive $50,000 annually from the Society’s reserves and will run for an initial five-year period.

### What We’re Looking For The Fund supports new revenue-generating products and services that benefit the ceramics, glass, and materials community. Examples might include a searchable database of glass properties offered as a paid subscription, an expert consultant matching service connecting companies with ACerS member specialists, or a new meeting format like a learning/networking event at a unique location.

The Fund is **not** for research grants, travel funding, complimentary conference registrations, or other forms of individual financial support. Any ACerS member can submit a proposal individually or as part of a group such as a Division, Section, Chapter, Committee, Principal Activity Committee, or SPEO. Co-investment from external partners is welcome.

* Funding per proposal: $5,000–$25,000 (larger amounts considered case by case) * Annual submission deadline: July 15 (first deadline: **July 15, 2026**) * Proposals must include a detailed itemized budget and address the financial potential of the idea * ACerS staff can assist with ROI calculations using internal data * Notification of outcomes following the MS&T meeting (typically October) * Funded projects may spend allocated fund over a three-year period * If accepted, you will be assigned a staff member to help implement the idea and manage the budget.

Funds are released as needed and no lump sum will be distributed directly to proposers. Download the Innovation Fund Guidelines All proposals are evaluated by the Innovation Fund Committee (IFC), consisting of the ACerS President, President-Elect, Executive Director, Treasurer, and Chief Financial Officer. The IFC recommends one of three outcomes: (A) fund the project, (B) fund a smaller pilot program, or (C) decline the project.

Successful proposals then go to the full Board for final approval.

Download the Evaluation Rubric ### Expectations for Funded Projects * Projects should repay the initial investment within 4 years, then return 5% ROI thereafter * Successful ideas can be incorporated into the Society’s ongoing operations * The Society reserves the right to discontinue a funded project if circumstances change ### Additional Information * Unsuccessful proposals may be resubmitted; authors are encouraged to discuss resubmissions with the President or Executive Director * All proposals become the property of the American Ceramic Society and will be kept in a database for future reference **Examples of the types of ideas we’re looking for:** * A searchable database of glass or ceramic material properties offered as a paid subscription * An expert consultant matching service connecting companies with ACerS member specialists (e.g., for technical consulting or expert witness testimony) * A new meeting format, such as a learning event in a unique location that combines professional development with networking * A testing and characterization referral service connecting companies with qualified labs **The Innovation Fund does NOT support:** * Research grants or academic research funding * Travel funding or travel grants * Complimentary conference or meeting registrations * Scholarships or individual financial support * Existing programs or activities that are already funded through other ACerS budgets Questions?

Contact Erica Zimmerman at ezimmerman@ceramics. org