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.

Free Course from NIH: Entrepreneurial Finance for Biomedical Innovators

The course is presented in a series of five sequential videos. The video modules and course details can be found here: https://www.nibib.nih.gov/entrepreneurial-finance-course

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports the development and commercialization of biomedical technologies through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. With the goal of bringing life-saving innovations to market, NIH SBIR/STTR funding provides early-stage seed capital to US-owned small businesses. While the commercialization of biomedical technologies can require a significant amount of both time and money, rigorous financial planning can help navigate and mitigate risks for small businesses and can enhance chances of success along the pathway to market. For biomedical innovators considering funding through the NIH SBIR/STTR programs (https://sbir.nih.gov), it is imperative to evaluate the use of federal grant funding within the context of a broader financial plan.

Course Objectives
The purpose of this course is to present biomedical entrepreneurs with a detailed framework for building a step-wise, validated financial plan. Moving beyond the short-term perspective of immediate financing needs to a comprehensive, long-term financial plan will increase the probability of success for your venture. The primary learning objectives for this course are as follows:

– Understand the importance of financial planning for your small business
– Gain perspective on SBIR/STTR funding within the broader context of your financial plan
– Learn practical approaches to developing a long-term financial plan
– Evaluate the various sources of funding
– Examine the use of comparables in validating your financial plan

 

Important SBIR/STTR Information Update from NIH

Update courtesy of BBC Entrepreneurial Training and Consulting

NIH is strongly encouraging small businesses to contact the appropriate Institute or Center early in their application planning to ensure their technology is a priority for the Institute/Center.

An updated SBIR/STTR Application Guide with additional instructions for SBIR Direct Phase II application preparation and submission will be posted by November 26, 2018. The following sections of each FOA are changed:

Part 2, Section I. Funding Opportunity Description The following has been added at the end of the section for each FOA:

PA-18-573 The following Components will not accept an SBIR Direct-to-Phase II submission:
– National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
– National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

PA-18-574 The following Components will not accept an SBIR Direct-to-Phase II submission:
– National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS )
– National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
– National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
– Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP)
– Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (All Components of CDC)
– U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (All Components of FDA)

Part 2, Section II. Award Information for both PA-18-573 and PA-18-574. Application types now allowed are:
– New (Phase I, Fast-Track)
– New (Direct Phase II)
– Renewal (Phase II)
– Resubmission (all phases)
– Phase IIB Competing Renewal (Phase IIB)
– Revision

The OER Glossary and the SF424 (R&R) SBIR/STTR Application Guide provide details on these application types.

Chronus Pharmaceuticals Receives Phase I STTR

Chronus Pharmaceuticals has announced that it has received a $299,172 Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) award in partnership with the Department of Chemistry at Stony Brook University.

Funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will be used to establish feasibility of an antibody diagnostic for detecting childhood tuberculosis. The research will be lead by LIBH Researcher Nicole S. Sampson, PhD in the Department of Chemistry, who will serve as principle investigator on the award and work in close collaboration with Chronus Pharmaceuticals.

CFB BEIR Receives $1.9M SBIR Fast-Track

Avanti Biosciences, Inc. a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company lead by Center for Biotechnology BioEntrepreneur-in-Residence Dr. Gian Luca Araldi, has announced that the National Institute of Aging (NIA) has awarded the Company an SBIR fast-track grant of up to $1,930,000 to support the company’s small molecule treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) over the next 3 years.

The award will enable the preparation and testing of Avanti’s proprietary compounds derivatized from natural catechins, which inhibit DYRK1A, an enzyme that modulates tau phosphorylation. Working with NY Institute for Basic Research and the University of California San Diego (UCSD), the company hopes to attenuate and potentially reverse pathogenesis for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.

“This award marks a significant milestone for Avanti Biosciences and an important step for their research into a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease” stated Dr. Clinton Rubin, Director of the New York State Center for Biotechnology at Stony Brook University. “The Center for Biotechnology is thrilled to see another success for one of the emerging bioscience companies fueling our regional bioecosystem and we proudly support Dr. Araldi’s work as one of our BioEntrepreneurs-in-Residence.”

Dr. Gian Luca Araldi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Avanti, stated, “We are delighted to have been granted this funding from the NIA as it underscores the great need for innovative, effective treatments for this disease, and recognizes the potential benefits that our compounds may provide for patients with AD. The continuous support of Center for Biotechnology and the BioEntrepreneur-in-Residence program has been critical force in the development of our technology and the company as whole.”

More than five million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive, irreversible, neurodegenerative disease that destroys memory and other cognitive abilities. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and as the aging population in the country grows, the incidence rate is expected to rise dramatically.

Learn more about Avanti Biosciences: avantibiosciences.com