Funding Opportunities

1. Federal SBIR/STTR Grants

AMOUNT: Awards vary per federal agency and Phase I or II, and can be $100,000 to $1,500,000 and more.

PROJECT TYPE: The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has the potential for commercialization. Through a competitive awards-based program, SBIR enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization.

The Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) is another program that expands funding opportunities in the federal innovation research and development (R&D) arena. Central to the program is expansion of the public/private sector partnership to include the joint venture opportunities for small businesses and nonprofit research institutions. The unique feature of the STTR program is the requirement for the small business to formally collaborate with a research institution in Phase I and Phase II. STTR's most important role is to bridge the gap between performance of basic science and commercialization of resulting innovations.

TIMING: Differs per agency.

ELIGIBILITY: Must be a small business and/or part of a research institution collaborating with a small business. See the SBIR/STTR website for more information.

DETAILS: https://www.sbir.gov/

2. Business Oregon SBIR/STTR Matching Grants

AMOUNT: Phase 1 matching up to $50,0000; Phase 2 matching up to $100,000.

PROJECT TYPE: Federal SBIR/STTR funding is a great source for early-stage companies, but it is not enough to help a company stand on its own. Business Oregon's matching grants provide funds to help fill gaps in what the federal grant will cover and assist businesses build on projects and advance new technologies. Matching grants are generally up to $50,000 for companies with a Phase I federal grant award and up to $100,000 for companies with a Phase II federal award.

TIMING: Available periodically through the year

ELIGIBILITY: Must have a received a recent Phase I or Phase II federal grant.

DETAILS: Visit the Business Oregon website.

3. University Innovation Research Fund (UIRF) Matching Funds

AMOUNT: $250,000 and above.

PROJECT TYPE: The Fund can be used as match for federal proposals that require financial match for projects that will support innovation or commercialization of technology at the universities that has a direct or potential connection to economic development. Projects must require a match of at least $250,000 to access the Fund. The Fund is not to be used as match for basic research projects or other projects that do not have a direct or potential connection to economic development. The projects should align with priority industries, such as advanced manufacturing, high technology, outdoor gear and apparel, health care innovation, food and beverage, and forestry and wood products.

TIMING: Rolling applications

ELIGIBILITY: See link below

DETAILS: Visit the Business Oregon website.

1. UVDF Funds

AMOUNT:

a. Development and Promotion fund: $10,000-$100,000.

b. Facilitation fund: $20,000-$100,000 contingent on the availability of funds and depending on the needs of the startup company or maybe in $700 to $1500 ranges to assist with company formation.

PROJECT TYPE: The PSU UVDF is administered under three programs:

1. The Development Fund - provides funding for technologies and research teams requiring small amounts of funding to develop a prototype, proof-of-concept, or other "demonstrations" of an innovative idea to spur on further development or interest in the technology.

2. The Promotion Fund - provides faculty and research teams opportunities to travel to a company or conference to promote their innovation through targeted presentations. The fund is also used to support entrepreneurial education at PSU.

3. The Facilitator Fund - All startup companies face the daunting task of finding funding. The Facilitator Fund provides grants and seed funds to small companies that have licensed or will license PSU intellectual property.

TIMING: Reviewed on a rolling basis.

ELIGIBILITY: These UVDF programs are only available to PSU faculty, staff, students, research teams. The projects proposed must either be related to innovations previously disclosed to IIP and with intellectual property is managed by IIP, or related to entrepreneurial education for PSU students.

DETAILS: Available on the University Venture Development Fund Application website.

1. The Biomedical Innovation Program (BIP)

AMOUNT: Track 1: Device, diagnostic and software: up to $40,00 per project is awarded; Track 2: Drug discovery and therapeutics development: up to $60,000 per project is awarded ; Track 3: Digital health: up to $30,000 per project is awarded.

PROJECT TYPE:

Track 1: Device, diagnostic and software: This funding opportunity is intended for medical device and diagnostic technology projects.

Track 2: Drug discovery and therapeutics development: This funding opportunity is intended for drug discovery platforms and therapeutic technology projects. Examples of responsive application topics include, but are not limited to: development and validation of drug targets, screening platforms, small molecules, antibodies, vaccines and biologics.

Track 3: Digital health: This track of funding is intended to support novel and innovative ideas that use digital technology to improve healthcare delivery or advance biomedical research with the potential for commercialization, achieving cost savings, improving research efficiency, improving quality of patient care, and/or reducing provider burnout.

TIMING: Each track is available once per year.

ELIGIBILITY: OHSU employees and students. Restrictions apply - see RFA for details.

DETAILS: Available on the Biomedical Innovation Program webpage. The BIP program is sponsored by the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute.

2. The Innovation Development and Entrepreneurship Acceleration (IDEA) fund

AMOUNT: Up to $15,000.

PROJECT TYPE:

I. Gap funding technology support

II. OHSU startup company support

III. Innovation and commercialization educational support

TIMING: Grant review and funding on a quarterly basis.

ELIGIBILITY : Open to all employees and students of OHSU, see webpage for additional requirements.

DETAILS: Available on the OHSU Innovates Commercialization Grants and Funding Opportunities webpage.

3. Early-stage technology award program

AMOUNT: Up to $10,000 per project is awarded.

PROJECT TYPE: To support further development of a recently disclosed OHSU technologies. OHSU Technology Transfer will select the awardee based on novelty and market opportunity, as well as the initial data provided with the technology disclosure.

TIMING: Quarterly

ELIGIBILITY: All new OHSU-based inventions disclosed to OHSU Technology Transfer are eligible for the award.

DETAILS: Available on the OHSU Innovates Commercialization Grants and Funding Opportunities webpage.

1. UVDF Impact Fund

AMOUNT: $30,000 - $75,000 typically awarded per project. Potential for over $75,000 awarded depending on circumstances and project need.

PROJECT TYPE: Facilitate development and commercialization of research inventions, tools, prototypes, software, digital content or other intellectual property (IP) created by OSU faculty, staff, and students that could benefit the people of Oregon.

TIMING: Currently applications are solicited on a rolling basis for 2021-2022. (Note that this is subject to change.)

ELIGIBILITY: Teams will be eligible for UVDF Impact funds if they have received AID Funding previously, completed the OSU Advantage Accelerate Program successfully, and were invited to apply for UVDF Impact funds by Accelerator staff.

DETAILS: Teams who are invited to apply will be asked to complete a short application form, a project description document, and a detailed budget spreadsheet.

2. Accelerator Innovation Development (AID) Funding

AMOUNT: Up to $15,000 per project is awarded.

PROJECT TYPE: Funds may be used for customer discovery, customer validation, commercial feasibility studies, minimal prototype development costs, market research, and commercialization plan development.

TIMING: The Request for Proposals is issued towards the end of each term. Proposals should describe projects that begin at the start of the next term.

ELIGIBILITY: The project must be managed by an OSU faculty member, at least one team member is required to participate in the term-long Accelerate program, and the project must be based on OSU-owned IP. Read the full RFP for more information.

DETAILS: View the full RFP.

3. National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (NSF I-Corps) Site Funds Award

AMOUNT: Up to $3,000 per project is awarded.

PROJECT TYPE: Funds can be used to help transition technology into the marketplace.

TIMING: Ongoing

ELIGIBILITY: Recipient team must be an Accelerate client and have completed quality interviews. For more information on eligibility, talk with Karl Mundorff.

DETAILS: Reach out to OSU Innovation Impact staff.

4. OSU Advantage Innovation Day Award

AMOUNT: Up to $5,000 per project is awarded.

PROJECT TYPE: Project scope must answer a commercial question in the faculty member’s research such as “with this proof, I can confirm that I have unique innovative technology” or “I can confirm which industry will be interested in the outcome of this research.”

TIMING: Once per term in conjunction with OSU Advantage Innovation Days

ELIGIBILITY: Award recipients must be an OSU faculty member that attends two Innovation Day events in one term. See link below for more information.

DETAILS: Available on the Impact Innovation Day webpage.

1. VPRI Innovation Fund - Translational Research Grants

AMOUNT: $25,000-$75,000 per project is awarded.

PROJECT TYPE: Translational research involves transforming fundamental research or early-stage innovations into more commercially viable products and services or even a new business. Traditionally, this type of research has been difficult to fund because it falls in the gap between the “basic research” mandate of federal agencies, and the more product-oriented goals of commercial entities. The VPRI-IF translational research program fills this gap.

TIMING: Reviewed on a rolling basis.

ELIGIBILITY: Is a UO TTF or NTTF faculty member with an active research program or a UO research spinout less than 5 years old which holds an active IP license from UO. View the VPRI Innovation Fund website for more eligibility criteria.

DETAILS: Available on the VPRI Innovation Fund website.

2. Professional Services for Inventors

AMOUNT: up to $5,000.

PROJECT TYPE: This grant mechanism provides support to inventors for the types of professional services needed to successfully launch a new invention-based company, including grant writers for SBIR submission, web development, pitch coaching, legal counsel, accounting advice, or business intelligence research.

TIMING: Reviewed on a rolling basis.

ELIGIBILITY: All tenure-track faculty members are eligible to apply. Non-tenure-track faculty who hold a full-time appointment (.75+ FTE) that includes substantial research responsibilities, have been employed by the university for at least three years at the time of application, and will hold a UO appointment during the academic year of the research award may also apply.

DETAILS: Available on the Professional Services for Inventors website.