Moody Brain Health Institute, Sealy Institute for Drug Discovery, Department of Internal Medicine, GNL, Development Office & The Office of Innovation announce a joint call for Pilot Proposals under the new Innovation, Discovery & Technology Commercialization (IDEA) grants program.
Why should you apply?
- Aims to translate Innovations into external grants and technology commercialization
- Two Mechanisms - up to $50K or up to $150K
- Funding will support projects that have a high potential for external funding via grants or technology commercialization
- Duration: Up to 1 Year
- Approximately $1 MM in available funding
- Simple 2 page concept pre-proposal document needed to apply
- Only 1 proposal allowed per applicant
- Pre-proposal due by 5:00 PM CT on December 31, 2024
Available Funding Opportunities
| Grant Mechanism | Expected range of funding | Expected Outcome |
| Discovery and Innovation Grant | $25,000 - $50,000 each (10-12) | New funding via external grants |
| Technology Commercialization Program (TCP) | $100,000 - $150,000 each (2-4) | Commercialization of technology via licensing start-up |
Program Dates:
| Schedule | Deadline |
| Pre-Proposal | December 31, 2024 by 5:00 PM CT |
| Full Proposal invitations | January 15, 2025 |
| Invited Full Proposal due | February 14, 2025 by 5:00 PM CT |
| Anticipated Funding Awarded | March 1, 2025 |
About the IDEA grants program
The IDEA grants program is directed at funding discovery and translational research, guided by the novelty of each project, its stage of development, and the institution's overall priorities. We are particularly interested in proposals focused on developing innovative therapeutics (small-molecule or antibody-based) and devices. TCP proposals will be partnered with industry experts and part of the budget will be used for supporting those activities. Applicants invited to the full proposal stage will receive guidance on setting appropriate milestones and budget considerations.
Who’s eligible to apply?
All UTMB employees are encouraged to apply by emailing a single pdf to utmbidd@utmb.edu
Pre-proposals should contain the following elements:
1. Concept - an NIH-style aims page (1 page). Describe the significance and innovation of the proposed research, the primary hypothesis or study objective, the proposed aims, and the expected deliverables.
2. Timeline (1/2 page). Include milestones and go/no go decisions for the pilot project, as well as the relationship of activities to ongoing research and the plan for pursuing additional funding.
3. A Budget and Budget Justification (1/2 page). (TCP budget will be adjusted to include CRO support).
4. NIH Bio sketch(s) of the Research Team Members.
5. Only for the TCP proposals: Commercialization (1/2 page). Please describe strategic plans and paths to the commercialization of the technology.
Proposals will be reviewed and discussed by members of the UTMB faculty. Please contact Alisha Goldberg with any questions at argoldbe@utmb.edu.