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

Amount: Up to $40,000

Eligibility: Principal Investigators must meet the OHSU eligibility requirements.

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: CLOSED

Amount: Up to $60,000 

Eligibility: Principal Investigators must meet the OHSU eligibility requirements.

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. 

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 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 (doc)
• 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.

See the Funding Opportunities page

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.