Track 1: Device, diagnostic, and software

This funding opportunity is intended for medical device and diagnostic technology projects. Through this funding mechanism, OCTRI, and OHSU Innovates, intend to support and accelerate creative, interdisciplinary device, diagnostic, and software development research at OHSU. Projects will typically be supported for a one-year period. Predetermined milestones and quantitative metrics of success will be evaluated on a regular basis.

Deadline: CLOSED. Check back in 2025.

Amount: Up to $40,000

Eligibility: Principal Investigators must meet the OHSU eligibility requirements.

View the FY2024 Biomedical Innovation Program Device, Diagnostic, & Software RFA for details about the submission process, eligibility, and application instructions.

Track 2: Drug discovery and therapeutics development

This funding opportunity is intended for drug discovery platforms and therapeutic technology projects. Examples of responsive application topics include but are not limited to: development and validation of drug targets, screening platforms, small molecules, antibodies, vaccines and biologics. Through this funding mechanism, OCTRI, and OHSU Innovates, intend to support and accelerate creative, interdisciplinary drug discovery and therapeutic development research at OHSU. Projects will typically be supported for a one-year period. Predetermined milestones and quantitative metrics of success will be evaluated on a regular basis.

Deadline: May 07, 2025.

Amount: Up to $60,000 

Eligibility: Principal Investigators must meet the OHSU eligibility requirements.

View the 2025 Biomedical Innovation Program Drug Discovery RFA for details about the submission process, eligibility and application instructions.

Need assistance with your application? Please contact Jonathan Jubera to schedule a consult: jubera@ohsu.edu.

Track 3: Digital health

This track of funding is intended to support novel and innovative ideas that use digital technology to improve healthcare delivery or advance biomedical research with the potential for commercialization, achieving cost savings, improving research efficiency, improving quality of patient care, and/or reducing provider burnout. 

Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis, with budgets not to exceed $30,000. Additionally, each awardee will be assigned a project manager and a mentor to advise and help accelerate their project towards commercialization. Projects will typically be supported for a 6-month period; predetermined milestones and quantitative metrics of success will be evaluated on a regular basis.

Deadline: CLOSED

Amount: Up to $30,000

Eligibility: OHSU employees and students. 

View the 2020 Biomedical Innovation Program Digital Health RFA for details about the submission process, eligibility, and application instructions.

COVID-19 rapid response funding

OHSU Research & Innovation, in partnership with The Oregon Clinical & Translational Research Institute (OCTRI), OHSU Innovates, accepted proposals for basic or clinical research across the translational spectrum that directly addresses COVID-19 from all disciplines. 

Deadline: CLOSED

Amount: Up to $75,000

Eligibility: Applicants must meet OHSU Principal Investigator requirements.

General information

There are numerous online marketing and commercialization (introducing a new product or service into the market) resources. The following websites provide well-curated, concise articles and videos covering topics that are generally suited for beginners to the commercialization process.

• Stanford Biodesign resources and video (website)
• BPlans YouTube Channel
• Need assistance with searching the literature for your BIP application? Get support from the OHSU Library

Market Research Lab: Intelligence Research with GlobalData

Need assistance with market research for your technology or idea? Survey the competitive landscape with GlobalData Medical.  Schedule an appointment with OHSU's Market Research Lab.

Market analysis documents

Marketing and stakeholder analyses help identify key competition, opportunities, potential investors, and the economic environment within your innovation’s specific industry. 

• 5 Keys to Conducting a Market Opportunity Analysis (blog)
• Stakeholder Analysis (article)
• Stakeholder analysis worksheet (ppt)
• Survey the competitive landscape. Access to competitive market intelligence platforms may be available for this purpose. Please contact BIP staff. 

Value Proposition and the business model canvas

Creating a value proposition and populating a business model canvas allows you to identify the problem and solution, determine who will benefit, and predict the value of the proposed technology over existing solutions.

• Value proposition canvas (video)
• How To: Business Model Canvas Explained (article)
• Business model canvas template (pdf)
• Business model planning tool (pdf)

Customer discovery

Customer Discovery is a hypothesis driven investigation into who will use your product, what will they get out of your product, and how they will acquire it. 

• Customer Discovery: Who Do You Ask? (video)
• Customer Discovery: What Do You Ask? (video)

Intellectual property

Intellectual property protects original ideas and innovations typically through copyrights, patents, trademarks, and trade secrets. OHSU Technology Transfer has highly-trained Patent Associates and Technology Development Managers who are available to help you navigate the complex intellectual property environment.

• Intellectual Property 101 (website)
• Seven step strategy from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (website)
• Search and read the full text of patents from around the world with Google Patents

Regulatory

Depending on the innovation, specific regulatory pathways must be followed to ensure adherence to federal guidelines (e.g. FDA). Inventors should have a general understanding of the regulatory compliance requirements related to their innovation.    

• Regulatory Basics from the Stanford Biodesign program (video) 

Elevator pitch and pitch deck

Developing effective elevator pitches and slide decks are essential tools for promoting your technology and attracting investors in a concise, clear, and engaging manner.

• Scientists, Here’s the Best Elevator Pitch to Sell Yourself to a Potential Employer (article)
• The 7 Key Components of a Perfect Elevator Pitch (article & video): 
• How to Develop a PowerPoint Pitch Deck for Biotech Investor Presentations (article)

Exit strategy

Identifying clear, yet diverse commercialization pathways is important for the success of a potential technology, whether it be determining licensing potential, startup opportunities, or pursuing adequate intellectual property protections to ensure maximum success.

• From Lab to Market: Pitt Commercialization Process (website)

Non-confidential summary

A non-confidential summary (NCS) serves as a technology advertisement to attract potential licensees, investors, or other business partners without compromising key intellectual property. 

• Non-Confidential summary example and template (pdf) 
• Tips from OHSU Technology Transfer on crafting an NCS (pdf)

Attention entrepreneurs! Thinking of forming a start-up company? OHSU Collaborations & Entrepreneurship - New Ventures has you covered.

Regulatory Consultation and Assistance Program

OCTRI is accepting applications for funding regulatory consultation services for OHSU investigators. A one-time award of up to $7,000 can be used to hire regulatory consultants to provide an overview of FDA rules and procedures specific to moving your technology or project towards commercialization. 

Regulatory Consultation and Assistance Program - Request for Applications

To learn more about this grant opportunity, please contact Claudia Nakama, Alliance Manager, nakama@ohsu.edu

Phase 0/00 Funding

Business Oregon and OCTRI are helping Oregon small businesses access federal funding through successful Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant applications. Here’s what you need to know:

• Phase 0 submissions must be received a minimum of four weeks prior to the sponsoring federal agency's due dates.
• The complete RFA is available here.
• Have questions? Please email Jonathan Jubera.

SBIR/STTR Technical And Business Assistance (TABA)

TABA Funding is part of a comprehensive federal program intended to help small businesses identify and address their most pressing product development needs. TABA programs assist small businesses in:

• making better technical decisions concerning such projects;
• solving technical problems which arise during the conduct of such projects;
• minimizing technical risks associated with such projects; and
• developing and commercializing new commercial products and processes resulting from such projects, including intellectual property protections.

Small Businesses may request:

• up to $6,500 per year for a Phase I
• up to $50,000 across all years per Phase II project

Please contact Jonathan Jubera jubera@ohsu.edu, for more information.

The Innovation Development and Entrepreneurship Acceleration (IDEA) Fund

The IDEA Fund provides strategic, timely funding for: 1) developing technologies, 2) funding for OHSU startup companies, and 3) innovation and commercialization educational programming support to help bridge the early-stage funding gap often experienced by innovators when moving through the commercialization process. 

The 3 funding tracks are described below. Please send questions to oce@ohsu.edu.

I. Gap Funding Technology Support

• To be used for previously disclosed technologies that could benefit from a targeted grant to bridge a critical gap or achieve a significant milestone toward commercialization. 
• Technology development should be underway for projects seeking IDEA Gap Funding. 
• Technologies previously awarded grant funding (e.g., OCTRI Biomedical Innovation Program) are preferred.  

Applications are currently closed for gap funding, but please check back for future opportunities.

II. OHSU Startup Company Support

• To be used as seed funds and SBIR/STTR matching funds for OHSU startups
• Startup support is open to companies whose formation was dependent on the licensing of OHSU’s technology. These startups can apply for funding under 2 options: 1) up to $15,000 in seed funding for new startups 2) up to $15,000 in SBIR or STTR grant matching support for each award received.

III. Innovation and Commercialization Educational Support

• To be used to support educational programming and events in support of innovation and commercialization efforts and benefiting the OHSU community..

Program partners

The Biomedical Innovation Program is a partnership between OCTRI, OHSU Technology Transfer, and OHSU Collaboration and Entrepreneurship. Additional funding for the program has been provided by:

• OHSU Foundation
• OHSU Office of Research and Innovation
• GE Healthcare 
• Welch-Allyn, a Hillrom company

Learn more about resources in OHSU Technology Transfer that can help you commercialize your research.

Past BIP-funded projects

Explore past BIP-funded projects and award recipients here.