Funding Opportunities

One-year grants of up to $300,000 per project; Regenerative medicine/ tissue engineering therapies for dental, oral, and craniofacial applications

In this spirit, Baxter's Young Investigator Awards seek to stimulate and reward research applicable to the development of therapies and medical products that save and sustain patients' lives. We invite current graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to submit descriptions of ongoing research. The Baxter Young Investigator Awards program consists of two tiers: first-tier awards include a $3,000 cash prize and an onsite visit to Baxter to present the award-winning research; second-tier awards receive a $500 cash prize. Prizes are granted based on merit of the research.

XLerateHealth's team has a unique depth of knowledge in successfully developing healthcare and life sciences startups. We are enterprise-focused and help early stage healthcare companies validate their business model, build out their commercialization strategy, and get ready to attract funding (both non-dilutive and non-dilutive).

The mission of the Breast Cancer Alliance (BCA) is to improve survival rates and quality of life for those impacted by breast cancer through better prevention, early detection, treatment and cure. To promote these goals, we invest in innovative research, breast surgery fellowships, regional education, dignified support and screening for the underserved.

NCI SBIR encourages small businesses developing highly innovative and transformative technologies that have the potential to create new scientific paradigms, establish entirely new and improved approaches to significantly improve cancer research, prevention, detection and care in pediatric and/or rare cancers to apply for the NCI SBIR Innovative Concept Award.

The NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research, with participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs), intends to promote the new Blueprint MedTech program by publishing a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to solicit applications to establish incubator hubs to provide medical device developers (“innovators”) with resources to support development of human-grade prototypes. The FOA intends to utilize the U54 activity code and is expected to be published in Summer 2021 with an expected application due date in Fall 2021.

Innovators developing groundbreaking medical device technologies face a number of challenges along the translational path from bench to bedside. The Blueprint MedTech program is an NIH incubator that aims to address such challenges and support the innovators by accelerating the development of cutting-edge medical devices to diagnose and treat disorders of the nervous system. The mission of the program is to catalyze the translation of novel neurotechnologies from early-stage development to first-in-human clinical studies.

Innovators developing groundbreaking medical device technologies face a number of challenges along the translational path from bench to bedside. The Blueprint MedTech program is an NIH incubator that aims to address such challenges and support the innovators by accelerating the development of cutting-edge medical devices to diagnose and treat disorders of the nervous system. The mission of the program is to catalyze the translation of novel neurotechnologies from early-stage development to first-in-human clinical studies.

Innovators developing groundbreaking medical device technologies face a number of challenges along the translational path from bench to bedside. The Blueprint MedTech program is an NIH incubator that aims to address such challenges and support the innovators by accelerating the development of cutting-edge medical devices to diagnose and treat disorders of the nervous system. The mission of the program is to catalyze the translation of novel neurotechnologies from early-stage development to first-in-human clinical studies.

This project aims to provide new approaches to create antibacterial bilayered skin grafts to achieve full restoration of both the epidermis and dermis. The main goal of this proposal is to address the main limitations preventing full-tissue restoration. In order to achieve this, the team will be anchoring newly developed antimicrobial conjugates into a 3D-bioprinted biopolymer matrix comprising embedded primary human keratinocytes and fibroblasts. This project will use the combination of engineered skin with chemically designed antimicrobial biomaterials that could drastically reduce mortality among patients with chronic wounds or burns.

Researchers have developed a novel regenerative rehabilitation strategy combining locomotor training with testosterone replacement therapy for spinal cord injuries. Preclinical data from the team has already indicated that locomotor training plus testosterone replacement training produces more complete muscle and bone recovery than each individual component of this strategy on its own and promotes locomotor recovery when implemented in rodent models with spinal cord injury. The aim of this research project is to translate these findings into a small first-in-human pilot study to assess the feasibility of implementing locomotor training plus testosterone replacement training.

EGFL6 – a poorly studied stem cell regulatory factor – is known to regulate not only ovarian cancer stem-like cell migration and differentiation but also tumor angiogenesis. However, it remains unclear how EGFL6 impacts the immune system. In this research proposal, the investigators will use genetic and pharmacologic approaches to determine which integrins mediate Egfl6-dependent bone marrow granulocytic and monocytic cell proliferation, migration and their differentiation into myeloid-derived suppressor cell and tumor-associated macrophage phenotypes.

While significant progress has been made in understanding the pathomechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, the molecular and cellular mechanisms remain poorly understood. This research project aims to combine the use of a chimeric model, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based patient-specific brain organoids, transcriptomics, epigenetics and genetic editing approaches to better understand the molecular and cellular aberrations underlying Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis.

Bioprinting offers the potential to construct highly complex and patient-specific tissues and organs as well as tissue interfaces. However, one of the major bottlenecks that hinders bioprinting of fully functional tissues and organs is the lack of diverse bioinks that can mimic the dynamic properties of the native tissue. This project aims to investigate materials design strategies to create smart bioinks to address this gap, and to apply these bioinks for printing of fully functional osteochondral tissues. One of the fundamental research questions that they hope to answer revolves around how to instruct stem cells to differentiate spatially within a 3D-bioprinted construct towards osteochondral tissue formation.

Launched in Spring 2021, the Research Catalyst and Innovation (RCI) Program includes four new funding mechanisms totaling more than $1.5 million in annual support. The program infuses funding and fosters increased collaboration to catalyze research and spur innovation across the three University of Michigan campuses.

Projects responsive to this solicitation must aim to establish a robustly validated and reproducible set of differentiation design rules, mechanistic models, real-time sensing, control, and quality assurance methods, and integrate them into a workable differentiation strategy. They must deepen our fundamental understanding of how cells develop and differentiate, providing insights into mechanisms, molecular machinery, dynamics, and cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions, and use this understanding to manipulate cells purposefully.

We are pleased to announce a competition for Pre-doctoral and Non-traditional postdoctoral Fellowships in Organogenesis as part of a NIH T32 Training Grant (Training Program in Organogenesis). The goal of the fellowship awards are to provide up to two years of support for outstanding scholars who wish to undertake a research project in the field of organogenesis.

The Training Program in Organogenesis is a University-wide predoctoral and postdoctoral training program that offers a range of fellowships to training grant eligible students. The Training Program in Organogenesis offers federally funded Pre and Postdoctoral fellowships, Non-Traditional Postdoctoral fellowships co-sponsored by the Medical School and Dental School.

The award is presented for outstanding research performed by the applicant as described in a 1,000-word essay.

Precision Health at U-M is a population-based, data-driven strategy that uses advanced tools and technology to consider more information about a patient than has traditionally been examined, such as genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors. These data are used to discover what influences disease development and progression, which will allow researchers to devise approaches to prevent disease, create novel treatments, and craft a process by which to implement discoveries at the point of care.

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to stimulate efforts to translate scientific discoveries and engineering developments into methods or tools that address problems in basic research to understand disease, or in applied research to assess risk, detect, prevent, diagnose, treat, and/or manage disease.

The Frankel Innovation Initiative encourages U-M faculty to collaborate with experts at U-M and outside institutions in order to help quickly move early-stage research to results that positively affect human health and save lives.

Michigan Drug Discovery Screening Grants include both funding and scientific support for high-throughput screening of small molecules or natural product extracts with the goal of identifying chemical matter for modulating novel therapeutic targets. At the end of the grant, researchers should have identified and confirmed a set of high-quality hit compounds with the potential to be further developed into tool compounds and therapeutic agents. To be eligible for funding, the proposal must present a clear statement of the scientific hypothesis to be tested, supported by strong target validation or phenotypic data. A prerequisite for funding is a validated screening assay requiring minimal optimization, e.g., translation from 96-well to 384-well format.

The Project Grants will advance projects for which compounds active against the intended biological target have been already identified, as well as projects that can benefit from the combined expertise and capabilities of multiple drug discovery experts. U-M researchers working across all therapeutic areas are eligible for a project grant. Funded projects will be conducted in partnership with Michigan Drug Discovery. Project teams that have already successfully completed a Michigan Drug Discovery supported screening campaign are encouraged to apply for Project Grants. However, prior support through Michigan Drug Discovery is not a prerequisite.

The Catalyst Award aims to support early career faculty (at the Assistant Professor or earlier ranks) in advancing their translational research careers. Applicants should propose a research plan that will help them to generate the data needed to strengthen hypotheses for subsequent extramural applications. We encourage applications for innovative projects at all stages of translation (T1-T4) that use one of the following approaches to research: investigator-initiated research or community-based participatory research (CBPR).

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites applications for Centers of Research Translation (CORT). Overall, a CORT research program should be carried out by a synergistic team of scientists who, through an interdisciplinary team science approach, will address a highly significant translational research challenge in a single or a group of highly-related disease(s) or condition(s) within the mission of the NIAMS.

The Grant supports university-level multidisciplinary scientific studies on viral and bacterial infection-induced cancers. We welcome graduate student and post doctoral scientists from chemistry, pharmacology, biochemistry, engineering, biology, and any related disciplines to apply.

Three innovator awards will be granted with one awarded at the faculty, graduate student, and postdoctoral level, respectively. There will be a fourth award added to recognie a person who is making a difference in the BI community.

The Coulter Program collaboratively works with UM faculty to develop medical device concepts invented at UM and license the related IP rights to medical device companies who complete development and seek FDA approvals. The Coulter Program now requires an LOI prior to receiving an invitation to submit a project proposal. The Coulter Program has two award programs – Enlighten and Evolve. Enlighten Award: Awardees receive direct mentoring from medical device industry experts and outside investors, market, regulatory and IP landscape assessments, and introductions to medical device companies. Program deliverables culminate with product strategic plans. Enlighten awardees will be invited to pitch for Evolve Awards to execute on strategic plans. Evolve Award: Uncover – New product design planning, early prototyping and verification studies. Emerge –Advanced prototype development, FDA interactions, validation studies (bench, animal, human), and partnering meetings with medical device companies.

The SPARC-MDD Partnership Grant provides funding and collaborative support for therapeutics projects led by U-M faculty. Selected projects have the potential to receive the equivalent of up to $1.5 million over a three-year period, including in-kind support in areas such as medicinal chemistry and preclinical development.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) aims to support early career academic scientists interested in transitioning to entrepreneurship while also supporting the transfer of technology from academic laboratories into small businesses.

A competition to accelerate artificial kidney development toward human clinical trials. Phase 1 of the Artificial Kidney Prize seeks solutions that enable and advance the functionality, effectiveness, and/or reliability of artificial kidneys.

The Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Innovation Hub for Ag & Bio is the first in a series of specialized statewide commercialization programs with in-depth domain expertise in specific areas of research. Translational research funding to accelerate the commercialization of high potential Ag & Bio technology is available to innovators at institutions of higher education, non-profit research centers, and hospital systems throughout Michigan.

In response to a 2017 study from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), the Engineering Research Centers (ERC) program piloted a planning grant opportunity in 2018. This solicitation is a continuation of this pilot program.

Following a temporary suspension of the request for proposals (RFP) process because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Joint Institute is pleased to announce the reactivation of the 2020 awards cycle with an emphasis on COVID-related projects. The JI accepts proposals on an annual basis from investigators in any health science discipline working collaboratively across the University of Michigan and Peking University Health Science Center.

The NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP) within the Office of the Director (OD) announces the availability of administrative supplements to support 1) research on bioethical issues to develop or support the development of an evidence base that may inform future policy directions, and/or 2) certain efforts to develop or augment bioethics research capacity. Applicants may propose to supplement parent awards focused on bioethics or to add a component related to bioethics to a parent award in which bioethics was not the focus. Note that applications must be within the general scope of the parent award.

Tissue Engineering and Regeneration (TEAM) is an interdisciplinary research-intensive training program for individuals who wish to pursue careers in the oral sciences with a focus in the area of restoration of oral-craniofacial tissues.

The Regenerative Medicine Innovation Project (RMIP) was established by the 21st Century Cures Act to accelerate progress in the field by supporting clinical research on adult stem cells, while promoting scientific rigor and protecting patient safety. This initiative is a trans-NIH effort, in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADxSM) initiative to speed innovation in the development, commercialization, and implementation of technologies for COVID-19 testing. Accurate, fast, easy-to-use, and widely accessible testing is required before the nation can safely return to normal life.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites applications that propose transformative engineering solutions to technical challenges associated with new development, substantial optimization of existing technologies and clinical translation of intraoral biodevices.

The Kickstart Awards offer funding up to $42,500, with all awarded projects requiring a cost share from the investigator/institution. Proposals are reviewed and awarded semi-annually, with due dates on February 1 and August 1. All interested researchers must complete a pre-submission application before submitting a full proposal.