Enterprise Innovation brings internal and external collaboration opportunities to our faculty and trainees. These programs provide extra funding and opportunities to work with industry to advance faculty/trainees' translational research projects.
Please contact Dr. James Bellush at james.bellush@cornell.edu if you have any questions or need guidance on your application.
1. Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute: Therapeutic Small Molecule
- Eligibility: Investigators who are seeking in-kind drug development collaboration with experts at the TDI to advance preclinical small molecule screening, hit to lead generation, and lead optimization studies.
- NO FUNDING IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RFP
- Eligible investigators must be able to cover 10% of the project value core-fee to TDI
- Contact James Bellush (james.bellush@cornell.edu) or your CTL business development and licensing officer to confirm eligibility
- Submission Details: Letter of intent can be submitted through the TDI portal
- Submission Deadline: February 13
2. Ono Pharma: Breakthrough Science Initiative Awards
- Eligibility: Ono Initiative supports creative research conducted by emerging Chemical Biologists in search of new discoveries, solutions, and the development of high-impact science
- ***Limited Submission Opportunity***
- Only 3 submissions from Weill Cornell + Cornell Ithaca are permitted
- Submit nominations to James Bellush (jmb824@cornell.edu)
- Submission Details: Contact James Bellush for nomination and eligibility information
- LOI submission must include
- Abstract < 150 words
- Summary Proposed Research Plan (1 pg text, 2 pgs figures / tables)
- CV (NIH Biosketch format)
- Award Details: Annual funding of $300k / year for term of 3 years ($900k total + $45k IDC to institution)
- Submission Deadline: February 14, 2025
3. American Federation for Aging Research: Glenn Foundation Discovery Award
- Eligibility: Researchers who are making pioneering discoveries towards understanding biological mechanisms that govern normal human aging and related physiological decline
- Projects focused on a translational discovery that has potential to improve human healthspan are prioritized
- Submission Details: LOIs should be submitted through the grant portal
- Award Details: $175k per year x 3 years = $525k total
- Submission Deadline: LOI must be submitted by February 18, 2025
4. CSL: Research Acceleration Initiative 2025
Eligibility: Basic or translational scientists from registered institutions with interest in partnering with CSL to develop novel models, approaches, platforms, or therapeutic candidates aligned with CSL’s core pipeline focus
Competitive proposals will:
- Be aligned with CSL’s therapeutic focus areas and modalities (see below)
- Have clearly defined milestones and go / no-go decision points
- Validate novel therapeutic targets
- Be differentiated from current SOC treatments in terms of target, efficacy, approach
Submission Details: Electronic LOI must be submitted through the online portal (300 word abstract, must be non-confidential)
Therapeutic Focus Areas:
- Cardiovascular + Renal
- Atherosclerotic plaque stabilization
- Familial hypercholesterolemia (gene therapy approach)
- Immune checkpoint inhibitor myocarditis
- Genetic renal disease and targeted kidney drug delivery
- Plasma Protein
- Formulation and delivery of therapeutics
- Novel plasma-derived therapeutic targets
- Engineering of high affinity binders for targeted protein purification
- Hematology
- Thrombotic microangiopathies
- Universal treatments for acute hemorrhage control
- Non-viral gene therapy for hemophilia, sickle cell, hereditary hemochromatosis
- Iron metabolism, anemia, iron overload and associated therapies, formulations
- Vaccines
- Novel vaccine targets, respiratory disease preferred
- RNA delivery of vaccines
- Immune mechanisms of vaccine response (innate and adaptive)
- Immunology
- B cell and T cell blockade strategies
- Novel therapies targeting inflammation
- Strategies to induce immune tolerance for transplantation and autoimmune disease
- Indications: GvHD, Sjogren’s, Idiopathic Myopathies, Systemic Sclerosis
- Genetic Medicine
- Gene Editing (large insertional editing efficiency, large template delivery, safety, assay development)
- Gene Expression (tissue, cell specific control, durable expression vectors, RNA modifications to enhance / control expression)
- In vivo Gene Delivery (LNP based delivery, reduced reactogenicity, enhanced dosing, targeting moieties for immune cells)
Award Details: $400,000 over 2 years
Submission Deadline: February 20, 2025
- Informational webinars will be held:
- Thursday, 23rd of January 1pm ET
- Wednesday, 05th of February 11am ET
5. Sanders Tri-Institutional Therapeutics Discovery Institute: Biologics
- Eligibility: Investigators who are seeking in-kind drug development collaboration with experts at the TDI to advance preclinical therapeutic antibody discovery and development activities
- NO FUNDING IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RFP
- Eligible investigators must be able to cover 10% of the project value core-fee to TDI
- Contact James Bellush (james.bellush@cornell.edu) or your CTL business development and licensing officer to confirm eligibility
- Submission Details: Letter of intent can be submitted through the TDI portal
- Submission Deadline: February 28
6. LUNGevity Foundation: Research Awards Program
- Mid-Career “Bridge to Breathe” Award: Supports mid-career investigators who are seeking bridge funding to sustain their lung cancer research program while they resubmit their application for federal funding (NIH R01) or its equivalent.
- $150k over 2 years
- LOI deadline: February 14, 2025
- Career Development Award: Supporting early career investigators whose projects will have a direct impact on early detection of lung cancer, disease modifying therapeutics, or a conceptual framework for early detection / personalized therapy (including targeted and immunotherapies).
- $300k over 2 years
- LOI Deadline: February 14, 2025
- ASTRO-LUNGevity Residents/Fellows in Radiation Oncology Seed Award: Supporting residents and fellows interested in radiation oncology-related basic, translational and/or clinical research to benefit patients with lung cancer
- $50k over 1 year
- Application deadline: March 10, 2025
7. AIM-HI: BRACE Award Venture Competition
- Eligibility: The BRACE (Bridging Research from Academic to Cancer Entrepreneurship) award provides investment funding to early stage oncology start-ups to accelerate innovative therapeutics, diagnostics, and cancer prevention products into the clinic.
- Submission Details: AIM-HI application portal
- Award Details: $600,000 investment funding (subject to due diligence and negotiation) from Asian Fund for Cancer Research and co-investors to fund proof of concept studies which validate novel cancer technologies and accelerate path to the clinic
- Submission Deadline: March 15, 2025 (11:55 PM EST)
8. AIM-HI: Womens Venture Competition
- Eligibility: Women biotech entrepreneurs seeking pre-seed, seed, and Series A investments in new companies developing next-generation oncology therapeutics, diagnostics, and prevention technologies.
- Submission Details: AIM-HI application portal
- Award Details: Up to $1M equity investment from AIM-HI and co-investors, subject to due diligence. Additionally, winners will receive mentorship and access to AIM-HI investor / advisory network.
- Submission Deadline: March 15, 2025 (11:55 PM EST)
9. Critical Path Institute: Translational Therapeutics Accelerator (TRxA) BRIDGe Awards
- Eligibility: Translational science faculty seeking funding and strategic guidance to advance their small molecule, protein-based, or gene-based therapeutic candidate towards the clinic.
- Therapeutic Areas: Brain health, pediatric disease, rare and orphan disease
- Modalities: Small molecules, protein-based therapeutics (peptides, antibodies, ADCs), and gene-based therapies (AAV gene therapy, RNA based therapy)
- Development Stage Funding Levels:
a) Small molecule or protein based therapy
- Stage 1: Early lead compound to late lead series ($250,000 x 1 year)
- Stage 2: Late lead series to selection of clinical candidate ($500,000 x 1 year)
- Stage 3: Candidate selection through IND enabling studies ($1M x 1 year)
b) Gene-based therapy: $250,000 x 1 year
- Submission Details: Guidance document for applicants, including modality specific entry criteria. Submit pre-proposal through the grant portal.
- Award Details: Scientific review of pre-proposals will evaluate:
- Unmet medical need
- Novelty of target or mechanism
- Commercial viability
- Target Validation / Rationale
- Research Plan
- Probability of Success
- Budget Justification
- Submission Deadline: Wednesday, March 19, 2025 (11:59 PM EST)