Update: NIH Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) Programs

The RADx Tech initiative aims to speed the development, validation, and commercialization of innovative point-of-care and home-based tests, as well as improve clinical laboratory tests, that can directly detect the virus. RADx Tech will expand the Point-of-Care Technologies Research Network (POCTRN) established several years ago by NIH’s National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB).

All scientists and inventors with a rapid testing technology are invited to compete in a national “shark tank”-type COVID-19 testing challenge for a share of up to $500 million over all phases of development. The technologies will go through a highly competitive, rapid three-phase selection process to identify the best candidates for at-home or point-of-care tests for COVID-19. Finalists will be matched with technical, business, and manufacturing experts to increase the odds of success.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Visit program website for full details on the RADx Programs and application process. https://www.nih.gov/research-training/medical-research-initiatives/radx/radx-programs

Webinar Recording: How BARDA is Investing $2B to Combat COVID-19

Our fellow BARDA DRIVe Accelerator, Life Science Washington Institute, has made available the recording of their recent webinar with BARDA detailing how the agency in investing to company COVID-19. Click the image to the webinar recording from June 4, 2020

Visit the Life Science Washington Institute webinar page for more information and links referenced in the webinar. https://www.lswinstitute.org/programs/drive-webinar/

Proposal Development Support – SBIR/STTR

The Center for Biotechnology is offering one-on-one SBIR/STTR proposal development counseling and iterative grant writing services to companies – application for next cohort is June 5th!

Companies that have completed our intensive 2-day workshop (or similar program) and/or have previously submitted an unsuccessful SBIR/STTR proposal in the past are eligible to apply. Services provided under this program are awarded through a competitive application process and include a weekly “best practices” proposal development webinar followed by iterative review of section drafts to guide stepwise development of the proposal from start to finish.

Companies selected for this follow-on counseling will be required to contribute $250 and will receive up to 10 hours of iterative proposal development services valued at $2000. These services will be subsidized by the Center for Biotechnology through the Downstate New York SBIR Assistance Program.
Interested companies should apply online no later than June 5, 2020. The application can be found here: https://forms.gle/5m9kAN8nUnzEyXyi9.

Contact Kate Hutchinson kate.hutchinson@stonybrook.edu with questions.

NIDA/ NIH Challenge “Start a SUD Startup”

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has announced the 5th “$100,000 for Start a SUD Startup” Challenge. The Challenge goal is to support research ideas that would further an understanding of Substance Use Disorders (SUD) and that are intended to be the foundation for the development of successful new startups. NIDA expects that the contest will enable participants to test the premise that their research idea can be fostered into a biotech startup, and that eventually the newly created startups will contribute to the pool of innovative small business companies that can successfully compete for NIDA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding.

The Challenge will offer up to ten awards of $10,000 each and technical expertise and mentoring from NIDA scientific research entrepreneurship experts. The Challenge total purse is up to $100,000.

Submission Due Date: May 26, 2020, 5:00 p.m. ET.
Judging Period: May 27, 2020 to June 15, 2020.
Winners Announced: June 22, 2020.

View full details about the challenge here: https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/2020-1000000-start-a-sud-startup-challenge/