ACerS Innovation Fund banner with puzzle pieces, "Supporting bold new ideas.

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.

Who Can Apply

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.

Key Details

  • Funding per proposal: $5,000–$25,000 (larger amounts considered case by case)
  • Annual submission deadline: July 1 (first deadline: July 1, 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

Evaluation Process

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

Application Form

ACerS Innovation Fund

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.

Section 1: Contact Information

Primary Contact Name(Required)
e.g., individual, Division name, Committee name, Section, Chapter.
Additional Team Members(Required)
First and Last Name
Email Address
 
If your proposal involves co-investment from external partners (e.g., companies, universities, other organizations), describe the nature and amount of the co-investment (250 words or fewer). If there is no co-investment, write "N/A." Note: proposals involving external partners must address intellectual property rights and ownership in Section 2.

Section 2: Project Overview

Provide a brief summary of your proposed project (250 words or fewer).
Describe the proposed product, service, or initiative in detail. What will it accomplish? Who is the target audience? How will it be implemented? What makes this idea new or different from existing ACerS offerings? (500 words or fewer.)
If your proposal involves external partners or co-investment, describe the proposed intellectual property arrangement. How will ownership, licensing, and revenue sharing be handled? If no external partners are involved, write “N/A.” (250 words or fewer.)
Explain how this project will benefit ACerS and the ceramics, glass, and materials community (250 words or fewer).

Section 3: Itemized Budget

Max. file size: 128 MB.
Upload a document that provides a detailed breakdown of all anticipated costs. Describe each budget item in detail. Proposals must request between $5,000 and $25,000. Larger amounts may be considered but will undergo a modified evaluation process.
Provide any additional explanation or justification for the costs submitted above (250 words or fewer).

Section 4: Financial and Potential Return on Investment

Describe how this project is expected to generate revenue or become self-sustaining. You do not need to perform formal ROI calculations—ACerS staff can assist with this using internal data—but you must clearly describe the financial intent (250 words or fewer).
If possible, provide estimated revenue projections. Note: funded projects are expected to repay the initial investment within 4 years and return 5% ROI thereafter (250 words or fewer).

Section 5: Assessment Methodology

Describe the metrics and methods you will use to evaluate whether the project is succeeding. How will you determine if the idea is working? What milestones or benchmarks will you track? This methodology will be reviewed by the Innovation Fund Committee (250 words or fewer).

Section 6: Implementation Plan

Max. file size: 128 MB.
Upload a document that outlines the key milestones, anticipated timeline, cost for your project. Funded projects may spend allocated funds over up to three years.
Describe the types of staff support you anticipate needing (e.g., project management, marketing, web development, financial tracking). Remember that an ACerS staff member will be assigned to work with you on the project (250 words or fewer).
If you'd like the committee to know anything else about your proposal that is not mentioned above, please use this space (500 words or fewer).

Section 7: Acknowledgements

By submitting this application, I/we acknowledge and agree to the following: This proposal, whether funded or not, becomes the property of the American Ceramic Society and will be maintained in a database for future use. If funded, an ACerS staff member will be assigned to manage the project. The staff member will control the project budget and release funds as needed. No lump sum will be distributed directly to proposers. If funded, the Society reserves the right to cancel the grant if circumstances change such that the idea can no longer be implemented, or if the proposing team no longer pursues the activity. Unused funds will be returned to the Society’s general budget. Funded projects are expected to repay the initial investment within 4 years and return a 5% ROI thereafter. If the proposal involves external partners or co-investment, intellectual property rights and revenue-sharing arrangements must be agreed upon with ACerS prior to the start of the project.