Click here to see a list of our past events.
In this month-long virtual course (February 26 - March 27, 2024), researchers working on a deep tech innovation “get out of your comfort zone” and talk with customers (virtually) to identify the best product-market fit.
You may apply with a team of 1-3 people. Teams may not split attendance between members. Please only include the members of your team that will be fully participating in the course. All team members are required to attend and participate fully in every course session and complete all coursework. Application Closes: Wednesday, January 31, 2024. Apply here. Questions? Contact icorps@cornell.edu.
Does your startup harness cutting-edge technology as its core foundation, or leverage technology to enhance existing processes? Depending on your answer, you’ll encounter different strategies, market advantages, and challenges on your entrepreneurial journey. Learn how to shape your approach to business growth and development accordingly at this free workshop!
Rob Gregor, the founder of Gregor Hotels and Executive Director of Cornell’s Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship, will lead the session and moderate a panel of entrepreneurs — Richard Valtr, founder of Mews Systems, Alex Zapesochny, CEO of Clerio Vision, Michael McHale, CEO of PSA Production Systems Automation, Skyler Logsdon, CEO of Boomerang Lost and Found, Grace McBridge, CEO and founder of Lucia, and Nina Kleaveland, CEO and founder of Lanyard. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from such a wide array of founders across industries!
Register here. Questions? Contact crea@cornell.edu.
Critical Path Institute’s (C-Path) Translational Therapeutics Accelerator (TRxA) is proud to announce its 2024 global Request for Proposals for its Breakthrough Research and Innovation in Drug Development Grants (BRIDGe). These BRIDGe awards are designed to support academic researchers in traversing the drug development valley of death by funding and defining optimal strategies for advancing new, cutting-edge therapeutics from the lab to patients.
Join us on Tuesday, January 30th at 10 a.m. ET to learn more about TRXA and its 2024 funding opportunities. Content will include an overview of the types of projects TRxA funds, eligibility criteria for BRIDGe awards, and details about how to apply before the first submission deadline of March 31st, 2024. The webinar will conclude with a live Q&A.
Register here.
Ono Pharma Foundation announces the start of the eighth year of the annual Breakthrough Science Initiative Awards Program (Ono Initiative) in the United States and Canada. Proposals from Principal Investigators will be considered for high-risk and high-reward science research projects which have the potential to lead to science discoveries/solutions and, based on further research, to breakthrough treatments for patients. The 
program information and FAQ are attached.
Target research of Chemical Biology is not specified by the Ono Initiative. For 2024, subjects of interest include but are not limited to below. Ono Pharma continues to welcome projects outside of these subjects.
- Modulating interactome and cell/tissue crosstalk with chemical induced proximity
- Manipulating biomolecular condensates and protein quality control systems
- Deep understanding and emerging applications of chemical glycobiology
- New concepts of drug delivery and localization to tissue/cell/organelle
Each selected project/PI will receive:
- Annual funding of $300,000/year for up to 3 years totalling a maximum of $900,000 for the normal term of a research project
- Up to an additional 15% ($45,000) per year of the funding to be used for indirect costs
- The total amount of the three-year grant would be up to $1,035,000
If you are interested in exploring this opportunity, please send Deanna Scarcella (des4016@med.cornell.edu) a NON-CONFIDENTIAL one-page overview of the proposed research collaboration for review by Mon, Jan 29, 2024. Institutions are allowed to nominate up to two researchers. We will ensure the project meets the Ono Pharma areas of interest and will notify the PI’s who are chosen to upload their submission to the Ono Pharma portal by the Thursday, February 15 due date.
Interested in how leading global product ideas begin? Want to learn about protecting intellectual property and competing in the global marketplace? Join us for a fireside chat with Kevin M. McGovern, Emeritus Member of the Board of Trustees of Cornell University and co-founder in over 25 companies. Register here.
Calling all researchers! If you have been working on a technology innovation and wish to explore its commercialization potential, I-Corps can provide you with entrepreneurial education, mentoring, and up to $50,000 in funding for customer discovery.
Hosted by the Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub (IN I-Corps), the virtual NSF I-Corps Information Session on Tuesday, January 23 (12:00 – 12:45 p.m. ET) is designed for busy graduate students, postdocs, and faculty interested in learning more about I-Corps regional and national programming. Laura Ray, an I-Corps instructor and Faculty Lead at Dartmouth College, along with I-Corps alum Devansh Agarwal of EchoSense, will be in attendance to share their experiences and answer questions.
The National Science Foundation created I-Corps (Innovation Corps) to bridge the gap between fundamental research discoveries in science and engineering and the commercialization of technologies, products, and processes with the potential to benefit society.
Register: https://bit.ly/ICorpsJan24
You are invited to attend an informative seminar detailing regulatory considerations and updated guidelines regarding the development and commercialization of cell and gene therapies. This seminar will feature Dr. Nimi Chhina, executive director and head of Global R&D and Regulatory Policy at BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Inc. Dr. Chhina will focus on key details surrounding:
- Unique regulatory considerations for cell and gene therapy product development
- Developing and informing a regulatory strategy for your project
Attendees will have the opportunity to sign up for a 1:1 meeting to discuss their project directly with Dr. Chhina. You must register and complete the meeting request form HERE in advance. Meetings will take place directly after the program. You will receive an invitation with the suggested timeslot once Dr. Chhina has reviewed all submissions.
This event is hybrid and will take place at Weill Cornell Medicine BioVenture eLab (1157 York Ave) for in-person attendees. Register here.
Are you an entrepreneur ready to take your product idea to the next level? Rev: Ithaca Startup Works invites you to take a deep dive into prototyping this summer!
Over 10 weeks, Rev’s Prototyping Hardware Accelerator guides product teams to determine if their ideas are commercially desirable, technologically feasible, and economically viable. Upon completion of the program, participants are positioned to recruit team members, bring on partners, initiate work with contract manufacturers, and pitch to investors. Teams will receive a stipend of up to $2,000 to advance their prototype.
The program offers four unique tracks with tailored content and instruction which include:
- MedTech Track: Offered in partnership with Cornell Biomedical Engineering and Weill Cornell, the new MedTech track gain access to specialized prototyping equipment, regulatory resources, and research and medical professionals in the field.
Applications are now being accepted for all tracks of the Summer 2024 Prototyping Hardware Accelerator! The accelerator is held in person at Rev: Ithaca Startup Works in Ithaca, New York beginning in late May 2024. The program is free and open to the public.
Early admission deadline February 16, 2024. Applications close March 25, 2024. Apply here.
*Want to learn more? Register to attend an upcoming virtual information session:
Note: Digital platforms, applications, and other software programs are not eligible unless paired with a physical product that you intend to develop in our program.
Explore commercialization in an NSF I-Corps Regional Course!
Led by the NSF I-Corps Hub: Interior Northeast (IN I-Corps), these free, month-long NSF I-Corps Regional Courses are designed for university-based STEM researchers and early-stage founders interested in evaluating the market potential of their technology and learning valuable entrepreneurial skills.
The following hybrid course is tailored to innovators in specific fields:
January 8 – February 9: This course for optics, photonics, laser, and quantum tech researchers begins online and culminates with customer discovery travel to San Francisco, CA for the SPIE Photonics West Conference. Hosted by IN I-Corps partners University of Rochester and Dartmouth College. Apply by December 13, 2023.
The Mark Foundation Endeavor Awards support collaborative research projects that bring together investigators with diverse areas of expertise to tackle challenges in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. These grants are awarded to teams of three or more investigators to generate and integrate data from diverse lines of research and transform those insights into advances for cancer patients that could not be achieved by individual efforts.
Endeavor Awards are $3,000,000 disbursed over a 3-year term.
- The requested funding should be divided amongst team members in a manner proportional to the actual cost of the work carried out by each investigator for the project.
- The budget limit includes both direct and indirect costs, with indirect costs not to exceed 10% of the direct costs.
- The third year of funding will be contingent on sufficient scientific progress as presented at the 18-month project review.
- The letter of agreement will include IP terms with a revenue sharing component
Grants portal opens for submission of Letters of Intent (LOI) on 1/3/2024. LOI submission deadline is 3/12/2024. To learn more about the eligibility and LOI guidelines, please visit The Mark Foundation website here.
