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Center For Biotechnology Awarded $500k U.S. Department of Commerce Grant

The i6 Challenge award sets aim on enhancing Long Island Bioscience Ecosystem

The Center for Biotechnology at Stony Brook University has announced that is has received a three-year, $500,000 U.S. Department of Commerce i6 Challenge Investment. The award will support the Center for Biotechnology’s (CFB) efforts to bolster the regional bioscience ecosystem by supporting a formal mentorship program, as well as a critical NIH-focused SBIR/STTR training and application development program which will assist in capital formation and launching new companies.

The Center for Biotechnology is among 35 organizations — including nonprofits, institutions of higher education, and entrepreneurship-focused organizations — from 19 states that will receive nearly $15 million to create and expand cluster-focused, proof-of-concept and commercialization programs, and early-stage seed capital funds through the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Regional Innovation Strategies (RIS) program. The Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE), housed within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA), leads the Regional Innovation Strategies Program to spur innovation capacity-building activities in regions across the nation.

“Long Island’s innovation economy is rooted in cutting-edge basic and applied science and engineering, fostered by top-tier research institutions, a highly educated population, and a depth, breadth and scope of intellectual capital.” said Dr. Clinton T. Rubin, Director, Center for Biotechnology. Dr. Rubin continued, “This award and the initiatives it will support add to the growing, concentrated efforts the Center for Biotechnology, the Long Island Bioscience Hub and the hub’s partner institutions are making to grow the high technology innovations born in our region into fully realized ventures.”

The Center for Biotechnology (CFB) at Stony Brook University is an Empire State Development Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) Center for Advanced Technology. Established in 1983, the CFB’s efforts are focused on accelerating the development of biomedical technologies in order to have a positive impact on human health and society. The CFB is also the lead administrative institution for the Long Island Bioscience Hub (LIBH) an NIH-designated Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub (REACH) established with a National Institutes of Health grant in 2015. The initiatives under the i6 Challenge award will complement the efforts of the LIBH, a partnership between the Center for Biotechnology, Stony Brook University, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, to commercialize biomedical innovations emerging from the partner institutions.

Download a PDF of the press release here.

Related Articles:
Schumer: Biz-Development Funds Big Deal For SBU – Innovate Long Island
Stony Brook Biotech Center Wins $500,000 to Foster Companies – Newsday

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Applications are now open for the 12th BioREACH Award Program from the Center for Biotechnology, which provides $50,000 in translational research funding for Stony Brook faculty and postdoctoral researchers to generate the evidence needed to advance promising innovations to the next stage of development.

BioREACH funds milestone-driven studies and welcomes biomedical innovations as well as platforms, tools, computational technologies, and other enabling technologies with the potential to contribute to solutions addressing unmet needs in health.

Application deadline: October 29, 2026, 5:00pm ET

For info sessions, eligibility and deadlines visit our REACH Website and FAQ.

The Center for Biotechnology (CfB) has helped advance some of Stony Brook University’s most impactful biomedical innovations, among them the yeast two-hybrid system, Xiaflex®, ReoPro®, Oracea®, and 3D virtual colonoscopy. The CfB has supported more than 475 faculty-led translational research projects and contributed to 306 license agreements generating $51 million in royalty returns to the University.

Questions? Reach out to our program contacts or sign up for office hours:

Dee Dao, PhD, Associate Director, dee.dao@stonybrook.edu
Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 2–3:30 PM | Sign up Here

Zelda Mendelowitz, PhD, Venture Associate, zelda.mendelowitz@stonybrook.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 8–11 AM | Sign up Here

[post_title] => BioREACH: Translational Research Funding Opportunity [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => bioreach-translational-research-funding-opportunity [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2026-09-04 11:55:36 [post_modified_gmt] => 2026-09-04 15:55:36 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=5065 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [1] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 3555 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2020-06-02 10:59:05 [post_date_gmt] => 2020-06-02 10:59:05 [post_content] => 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. [post_title] => Proposal Development Support - SBIR/STTR [post_excerpt] => 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! [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => proposal-support-sbirsttr920 [to_ping] => [pinged] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/resources/programs/#sbircounseling [post_modified] => 2024-12-03 15:01:10 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-12-03 20:01:10 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=3555 [menu_order] => 66 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [2] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 4032 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2023-03-02 16:46:18 [post_date_gmt] => 2023-03-02 16:46:18 [post_content] =>

A second-generation taxane conjugate in a nanoemulsion formulation (called NE-DHA-SBT-1214) developed by Stony Brook University Distinguished Professor Iwao Ojima in his chemistry laboratory and through the Institute of Chemical Biology & Drug Discovery (ICB&DD) and licensed to Dr. James Egan, has received a $24 million investment to be taken to phase 2a development. Preclinical results have persuaded TVM Capital Life Science to invest in the technology via Recurv Pharma.

The VC fund will invest up to $24 million in Recurv through its project-focused company (PFC) investment objective, an initiative focused on backing first or best-in-class candidates that are clearly differentiated from the competition or add clinical value. Read More on Fierce Pharma and via SBU News.

[post_title] => Anti-Cancer Agent Developed at SBU Shows Great Promise Against Tumors, Receives $24M Investment [post_excerpt] => TVM Capital Life Science to invest $24M in Recurv Pharma to develop an SBU technology. [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => closed [ping_status] => closed [post_password] => [post_name] => anti-cancer-agent-developed-at-sbu-shows-great-promise-against-tumors-receives-24m-investment [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2024-08-22 11:35:16 [post_modified_gmt] => 2024-08-22 15:35:16 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=4032 [menu_order] => 7 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) [3] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 2210 [post_author] => 3 [post_date] => 2016-05-12 19:03:22 [post_date_gmt] => 2016-05-12 19:03:22 [post_content] => TheraSource LLC, a Feinstein Institute for Medical Research spin-out, has received a $3 million three-year Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The grant will support the development of human ghrelin as an innovative treatment to alleviate health damage caused by unintentional radiation exposure. TheraSource has been a client of the Center for Biotechnology and the organization is proud to have played an integral role in the helping the company advance their business and technology strategy. As noted by Diane Fabel, Director of Operations for the Center for Biotechnology, “The Phase II award for TheraSource is a significant landmark for the company and an important milestone for the region.” Ping Wang, MD, founder of TheraSource and Chief of Scientific Officer (CSO) of the Feinstein Institute has stated “Human ghrelin has been investigated in clinical trials of other indications.  With our new findings, we will soon be able to file an Investigational New Drug application to US Food and Drug Administration,” said Dr. Wang. “TheraSource has received investments to fund its various projects and is seeking strategic partnerships towards the goal of clinical development and commercialization.” For more details, read the company’s press release here. [post_title] => TheraSource LLC receives $3M SBIR Grant [post_excerpt] => TheraSource LLC, a Feinstein Institute for Medical Research spin-out, has received a $3 million three-year Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => therasource-llc-receives-3m-sbir-grant [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2016-05-12 19:13:45 [post_modified_gmt] => 2016-05-12 19:13:45 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => http://centerforbiotechnology.org/?p=2210 [menu_order] => 181 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw ) ) [post_count] => 4 [current_post] => -1 [before_loop] => 1 [in_the_loop] => [post] => WP_Post Object ( [ID] => 5065 [post_author] => 4 [post_date] => 2026-09-01 14:03:32 [post_date_gmt] => 2026-09-01 18:03:32 [post_content] =>

Applications are now open for the 12th BioREACH Award Program from the Center for Biotechnology, which provides $50,000 in translational research funding for Stony Brook faculty and postdoctoral researchers to generate the evidence needed to advance promising innovations to the next stage of development.

BioREACH funds milestone-driven studies and welcomes biomedical innovations as well as platforms, tools, computational technologies, and other enabling technologies with the potential to contribute to solutions addressing unmet needs in health.

Application deadline: October 29, 2026, 5:00pm ET

For info sessions, eligibility and deadlines visit our REACH Website and FAQ.

The Center for Biotechnology (CfB) has helped advance some of Stony Brook University’s most impactful biomedical innovations, among them the yeast two-hybrid system, Xiaflex®, ReoPro®, Oracea®, and 3D virtual colonoscopy. The CfB has supported more than 475 faculty-led translational research projects and contributed to 306 license agreements generating $51 million in royalty returns to the University.

Questions? Reach out to our program contacts or sign up for office hours:

Dee Dao, PhD, Associate Director, dee.dao@stonybrook.edu
Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 2–3:30 PM | Sign up Here

Zelda Mendelowitz, PhD, Venture Associate, zelda.mendelowitz@stonybrook.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 8–11 AM | Sign up Here

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BioREACH: Translational Research Funding Opportunity

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Anti-Cancer Agent Developed at SBU Shows Great Promise Against Tumors, Receives $24M Investment

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