An improved system for energy transfer photopolymerization which optimizes the transfer efficiency of energy from a low energy light source to a higher energy donor and then to a polymerization initiator for the polymerization of a monomer material. The energy transfer efficiency is optimized by introducing stably miscible surface treated upconverting nanocrystal donors into a monomer matrix for near infrared to blue and ultraviolet upconversion and resonantly coupling the energy stored in the donor to the initiator via Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET).