Are you already aware of the NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program? It grants $50K awards to NSF-funded researchers “to help [them] determine the readiness to transition technology [they] developed by previously-funded or currently-funded NSF projects.”
As tech transfer managers, you may want to encourage and help your faculty researchers in pursuing this funding to help further develop their technologies, which will lead to better prospects for licensing.
For more information, see: http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/i-corps/index.jsp