Brown Technology Innovations

Brown Innovation Fund - Life Sciences Impact Awards

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Brown Innovation Fund - Life Sciences Impact Awards

The newly established Brown Innovation Fund, possible through generous philanthropic gifts, is intended for granting Life Sciences Impact Awards to Brown Faculty to support development of life sciences technologies with the potential to achieve commercialization.

One or two awards will be made per year of up to $250K of funding and accompanying support through advising and mentorship. These awards are expected to generate partnerable or licensable technology with the potential for company creation at the end of the proposed timeframe.

Technologies best positioned for a Life Sciences Impact Award will be product-focused, addressing a clearly defined unmet need, have established some proof of concept and be supported by appropriate intellectual property filings. Projects ‘graduating’ from a BBII Pilot Award may be well suited, but this is not a requirement.

Eligibility

The focus of this program is the biomedical sciences, specifically, identification and development of therapeutics, diagnostics or medical devices. Eligible applicants are faculty whose principal appointment is at Brown University specifically, investigators who are covered by the Brown University IP policy and have an obligation to assign IP to Brown University.  Additionally, faculty employed by Brown-affiliated hospital partners Care New England and Lifespan who have a primary academic appointment at Brown University shall be eligible so long as their application includes a letter of support from their employer. For questions about eligibility contact bbii-projects@brown.edu.

How to Apply

New cycle will be announced in January 2025.

Potential applicants must submit a letter of intent:

  • Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact BBII (bbii-projects@brown.edu) to discuss the scope and feasibility of the project 
  • Letter of intent should include a description of the technology and the unmet need that will be addressed, a brief description of the technology development status and a list of intellectual property, and should be emailed to bbii-projects@brown.edu.
  • Up to five applicants will be selected to present a ‘pitch’ to a selection committee. Applicants will work with BBII and Brown Technology Innovations to develop the presentation which will include milestones, budget and commercialization plan. Presentations to the selection committee will occur at the spring of 2025.