Technology Commercialization Grants

Technology Commercialization Grants is sponsored by Washington Research Foundation. These grants are intended to bridge the gap between discovery research and commercial investment in novel technologies, catalyzing commercially viable, translational research at Washington state research institutions and accelerating technology development to benefit the public.

Initial funding for projects is for up to $100,000, with selected investigators potentially invited for further funding up to $1 million.

Technology Commercialization - Washington Research Foundation Technology Commercialization Support for projects at Washington state research institutions that will lead to commercial development of technology-based products Researchers and entrepreneurs at Washington state institutions have the potential to conduct translational research that eventually leads to the creation of novel products and services that can improve health and advance technology.

However, before technologies are ready for commercial investment, they often require further technical development, evaluation and de-risking within the research institution. WRF technology commercialization grants are intended to bridge part of this gap between discovery research and commercial investment in novel technologies.

Our funding seeks to catalyze commercially viable, translational research at Washington state research institutions and accelerate the development of technology to benefit the public. WRF has adopted a phased approach to technology commercialization funding. Initial funding for projects is for up to $100,000 of direct costs.

Applicants can request up to an additional 10% for indirect costs . Select investigators who demonstrate success in completing milestones may be invited to apply for further funding in stages for up to $1 million of direct costs, plus 10% for indirect costs.

All eligible investigators are welcome to submit a pre-proposal Pre-proposals will be accepted at any time on a rolling basis Review Process & Timeline Pre-proposals will be reviewed within three weeks of submission Pre-proposals are reviewed by WRF staff Invitation to submit a Phase 1 proposal $10,000 – $100,0000 of direct costs 12-17 projects/year funded Upon successful review of the pre-proposal, applicants will be invited to submit a full application Duration of award is flexible and determined by the needs of the project Amount requested should be appropriate to the scope and aims of the project Review Process & Timeline Full proposals will be reviewed within 6 weeks of submission Proposals are reviewed by WRF staff Validation of commercial potential Opportunity for follow-on funding through WRF Phase 2 or other sources Up to $250,000 of direct costs Up to $1 million of direct costs By invitation only based on: Successful completion of Phase 1 milestones or Phase 2 milestones and submission of a written report Demonstration of clear potential for commercialization Impact of product on improving health or advancing technology Strategic priorities of WRF Review Process & Timeline Proposals will be reviewed within 8-12 weeks of submission External experts will be contacted to review proposals under a confidentiality agreement Validation of commercial potential Opportunity for follow-on funding through WRF Phase 3 or other sources Major licensing opportunity Startup company formation Follow-on funding or investment from external sources Startup company formation Pre-proposals for Phase 1 applications will be accepted on a rolling basis; there are no deadlines for submission.

Phase 2 and 3 applications will be considered after the submission of the Phase 1 final report. Employees or students at Washington state nonprofit research institutions are eligible to submit a pre-proposal. Employees may be faculty, postdoctoral scholars, research scientists or hold staff appointments.

All awards will be made to the institutions; WRF does not directly fund individuals. Any intellectual property (IP) that is generated as a result of WRF funding is owned and managed by the PI’s institution according to standard institutional policies. WRF does not take any share in IP.

A project is not eligible for funding if any IP associated with that project has already been licensed to a company. WRF reviews the budget in each proposal to determine whether the direct costs being requested are appropriate. Guidance is provided below.

All non-salary direct project costs are allowed (e.g., equipment, supplies, facility fees, contract research costs) Salary costs for students, research staff or postdoctoral fellows are allowed Salary costs for regular faculty (e.g., assistant professors, associate professors, full professors) are not allowed Salary costs for research faculty (e.g., research professors, acting instructors) are allowed IP costs are typically not allowed as these are expected to be borne by the institution Funds may be requested for the length of time that is appropriate to complete the project.

Phase 1 grants are typically for 6-12 months In addition to the amount requested to support the direct costs of their project, applicants may request up to an additional 10% for indirect costs. Indirect costs do not apply to capital equipment expenditures greater than $5,000, tuition, patient care, or subawards more than $25,000.

Additional details on WRF’s indirect cost policy can be found here Investigators are encouraged to keep in mind that technology commercialization grants are intended to support projects that will eventually lead to a commercial outcome. Although we welcome preproposals for projects that may be at an early stage of development, these grants are not intended for basic or discovery-stage research.

WRF takes into account a variety of factors in evaluating projects.

These factors include, but are not limited to: Magnitude of problem and impact of the potential solution Competitive advantage of solution relative to what is currently available Potential for commercialization through licensing or startup formation Likelihood of market uptake and time to market Clear and feasible milestones and budget Leverage with other funding WRF also supports technology commercialization programs at the University of Washington and Washington State University If you have further questions, please contact us at grants@wrfseattle.

org .