The Federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are critical sources of non-dilutive financing for early stage companies. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) SBIR Development Center provides funding, networking, and mentoring support for small businesses developing innovative cancer technologies. In fiscal year 2020, NCI SBIR provided $179 million to small businesses to translate their innovation from lab to market.
Join us to learn more about the funding opportunities available at the NCI SBIR Development Center! NCI SBIR Program Directors will go over fundamental information on NCI SBIR/STTR funding, as well as commercialization resources and application tips. At the event, you will learn about:
- SBIR/STTR eligibility requirements
- NIH SBIR/STTR process and new cancer-focused funding opportunities from NCI
- NCI SBIR/STTR initiatives such as the I-Corps at NIH Entrepreneurship Program, Applicant Assistant Program, etc.
- NCI Investor Initiative to help NCI SBIR-funded companies to connect with investors, venture capitalists, strategic partners, and business leaders from the biotech and pharmaceutical industries
- Practical strategies on how to successfully submit competitive research proposals
About the Speakers:
Kory Hallett is a Program Director and Team Leader in the Small Business Innovation Research Development Center at the National Cancer Institute. Kory manages program evaluation for the Development Center, and serves as a program officer to SBIR and STTR grants in the areas of immunology, immunotherapy, and monoclonal antibody technology. She also participates in the Center’s many initiatives to support the development of innovative cancer technologies. Kory initially joined the NCI SBIR Development Center in 2014 as a Science & Technology Policy Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Kory received her doctorate in Cell and Molecular Biology in 2009 from the University of Nevada, Reno. She completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she worked in a translational lab researching monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics for pediatric neuroblastoma.
Michael Weingarten is the Director for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Development Center at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, MD. In this role, Mr. Weingarten leads a team of nine Program Directors who manage all aspects of the NCI SBIR & STTR Programs including a portfolio of $179M in grants and contracts annually. The SBIR & STTR programs are NCI’s engine of innovation for developing and commercializing novel technologies and products to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. Mr. Weingarten has implemented a set of key initiatives for optimizing the performance of the NCI SBIR Program at the NIH. These include the establishment of a new model at the NCI for managing the program – the SBIR Development Center.
Under Mr. Weingarten’s leadership, the NCI SBIR Development Center has launched a range of new initiatives to facilitate the success of small businesses developing cancer-related technologies. Recent initiatives include the launch of the NIH I-Corps™ pilot program in which teams of budding entrepreneurs engage in a hypothesis-driven approach to validate their proposed business models by conducting over 100 interviews with potential customers. Companies adjust their strategies based on direct customer feedback and analyze the information they collect to determine if there is a product/market fit. Other NCI SBIR initiatives introduced under Mr. Weingarten’s leadership include the NCI SBIR Investor Forums, the NCI SBIR Phase II Bridge Award, and the workshop titled Federal Resources to Accelerate Commercialization (FRAC). Thus far, NCI SBIR has held three investor forums that, in total, have facilitated the closing of investment deals with NCI-funded SBIR companies valued at over $300M. The NCI SBIR Phase II Bridge Award, which was launched in 2009, incentivizes partnerships between NIH’s SBIR Phase II awardees and third-party investors and/or strategic partners to help small businesses bridge the funding gap between the end of their SBIR Phase II awards and the next round of financing needed to advance a promising cancer therapy or imaging technology.
This session is targeted to Health & Life Sciences ventures teams in the i-lab’s Venture Program. For team leads in the i-lab Venture Program, it’s best to register through the i-lab portal here or through the program calendar. Otherwise you can register below.
