Event Type : Pathways Newsletter

The U.S. Department of Transportation is running a two-stage prize challenge for advanced robotics that address public-sector transportation problems, improve infrastructure, and protect travelers and workers. Stage I asks for a concept paper; up to five finalists will each receive $100,000 and move to Stage II, where they have one year to build and demonstrate a working prototype, with a $1,000,000 grand prize for the winner.

The challenge is open to anyone with a robotics concept, whether it repurposes off-the-shelf platforms or introduces new technology. Stage I submissions ( a narrative document and a two-slide overview, emailed to robotics@dot.gov ) are due August 10, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. ET, with finalists announced in fall 2026. For submission requirements, judging criteria, and full terms, click on the link here.

The Engine, founded by MIT i is accepting applications for the Fall 2026 Blueprint cohort. The program helps graduate students, postdocs, researchers, and their teams explore the translational potential of their breakthrough research, with content sessions running online from September 11 to October 29 and an in-person showcase at The Engine HQ in Cambridge, MA on October 29.

Blueprint is open to academic researchers and their teams: each applicant may submit one concept.  Applications are due August 16, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST. To apply, click on the link to learn more.

Osage University Partners (OUP)  is hosting a webinar on how academic institutions build and use strategic advisory boards to strengthen innovation and commercialization operations. Three university innovation leaders will cover board composition and operating models, the outcomes their boards have generated, and candid lessons on the challenges they hit and what they would do differently.

The session is aimed at technology transfer, research commercialization, and innovation office staff, and takes place August 19, 2026 at 12:00 PM ET. To register for this event, click on the link here.

Eva Garland Consulting is hosting a webinar on the changes to NIH’s 2026 SBIR solicitations and what they mean in practice for applicants. Grants experts Brandon Turner, Ph.D., and Ranjay Jayadev, Ph.D., will give a 15-minute briefing on the key updates, followed by an extended live Q&A where attendees can ask about the new solicitations and their own upcoming submissions.

The session is aimed at small businesses and researchers preparing NIH SBIR proposals, and takes place August 20, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. ET. To register for this event, click on the link here.

The Stanford Biodesign Innovation Fellowship is a 10-month, full-time fellowship designed to train the next generation of health technology innovators. The program teaches fellows how to identify unmet healthcare needs, develop innovative solutions, and translate those ideas into real-world impact through startups, corporations, or healthcare systems. Participants receive a monthly stipend and health benefits during the program.

Applications for the 2027–2028 fellowship cohort open on June 8, 2026, and the deadline to apply is August 27, 2026. To learn more, click here.

The University of South Florida is running a five-week regional I-Corps workshop for researchers and innovators looking to explore the commercial potential of their cybersecurity and AI technologies. The program is strategically aligned with Cyber Florida and coordinated with phaseZERO, Cyber Florida’s innovation incubator, giving participants a structured path from technology to customer discovery.

Sessions run Mondays from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. across five dates: September 21 (in person at USF Tampa), September 28 (Teams), October 12 (in person at InfoSec World), October 26 (Teams), and November 2 (in person). Applications are due August 28, 2026. To apply, click on the link here; questions can go to icorps@usf.edu.

BioFlorida is now accepting applications for the 2026 BioPitch Competition, a premier opportunity for life sciences startups and innovators to showcase their technologies to industry leaders, investors, and members of the broader biotechnology and healthcare community.

The competition is designed for entrepreneurs, startup founders, and life sciences innovators seeking to advance promising technologies and connect with potential investors and strategic partners.

Applications for the 2026 BioPitch Competition are due August 28, 2026. Finalists selected from the applicant pool will compete live during the BioPitch Finals on October 16, 2026, as part of the Florida Innovation Conference powered by BioFlorida. To learn more, visit the webpage here.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI)  is accepting applications for the Commercialization Readiness Pilot, which helps small businesses with NIH-funded SBIR or STTR projects bridge the gap between late-stage research and a commercially viable product. Funding supports first-in-human clinical testing, clinical validation studies, regulatory work, and specialized technical assistance. NCI will fund up to $4,191,495 in total costs, plus up to $500,000 in non-R&D technical assistance. Unlike typical NIH research grants, applicants may subcontract a significant portion of the work to outside experts as long as the small business retains oversight.

Applicants must be U.S. small businesses that held an active NIH SBIR or STTR Phase II or Phase IIB award from a participating NIH Institute within the last 36 months, with one CRP award allowed per Phase II project. NCI prioritizes applications that can hit significant commercial milestones and that demonstrate an ability to attract third-party funding. Applications are due September 8, 2026 by 5:00 p.m. local time of the applicant organization. To review the full announcement and apply, click on the link here.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is hosting a town hall on recent updates to ISO 10993-1 (2025), the standard governing biological evaluation of medical devices. FDA staff will walk through risk assessment approaches for evaluating biocompatibility endpoints, with specific examples covering material-mediated pyrogenicity and systemic endpoints, and will take questions from attendees.

The session is aimed at medical device manufacturers, regulatory affairs staff, and anyone evaluating device biocompatibility. It takes place September 9, 2026 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. ET on Microsoft Town Hall. No registration is required , to join the event, click on the link here.

The Farm Robotics Challenge invites student teams, faculty advisors, and industry innovators to build AI, automation, and robotics solutions for real-world agricultural problems. The 2026 grand prize was a $50,000 SAFE investment from The Reservoir, an early-stage agtech venture capital firm, alongside additional prizes and awards added over the course of the cycle.

The challenge is built for university students and the professors and growers who work alongside them. Registration for the 2027 program opens August 3, 2026, and an informational webinar covering rules, timeline, and judging is expected in September, following last year’s schedule. To join the mailing list for registration and webinar announcements, click on the link here.

The Kenneth Rainin Foundation is opening its Innovator Awards, which fund high-impact basic and translational research into Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Individual projects receive up to $150,000 and collaborative projects involving multiple investigators up to $300,000, with grantees who show significant progress eligible for up to two additional years of support. The Foundation is particularly interested in work applying AI, machine learning, big data analytics, and model systems to IBD mechanisms and therapeutic discovery.

Letters of inquiry are accepted August 3 through September 30, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. PDT, with LOI decisions in late December, invited full proposals due February 2027, and awards announced May 2027. To review eligibility and submit an LOI, visit the webpage here.

Nucleate is accepting applications for the Activator, an open-access, equity-free accelerator for early-stage biotech founders. The program runs from team formation through venture-building workshops, mentor office hours, legal and clinical consulting, and a final pitch showcase before life sciences investors and industry veterans. Participants gain access to a network of 3,000+ leaders across biotech, pharma, and VC; alumni have launched over 300 companies and raised $650M to date.

The Activator is built for scientists, business trainees, and early professionals looking to build a venture, and takes no equity in return. Core teams form in October 2026, with workshops running February–May 2027 and pitches in May–June 2027.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis from mid-September to late October 2026, so earlier submissions get earlier consideration. To apply, click on the link here.

The FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health is accepting submissions for the READI-Home Innovation Challenge, which aims to accelerate patient access to medical devices that reduce hospital readmissions. Part of the agency’s Home as a Health Care Hub initiative, the challenge invites innovators to propose device technologies for the home setting that support patients and caregivers after an acute hospital stay.

The challenge is open to medical device innovators developing home-use technologies. Submissions are accepted through September 30, 2026. To review submission requirements and apply, click on the link here.

The Kenneth Rainin Foundation is opening its Innovator Awards, which fund high-impact basic and translational research into Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Individual projects receive up to $150,000 and collaborative projects involving multiple investigators up to $300,000, with grantees who show significant progress eligible for up to two additional years of support. The Foundation is particularly interested in work applying AI, machine learning, big data analytics, and model systems to IBD mechanisms and therapeutic discovery.

Letters of inquiry are accepted August 3 through September 30, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. PDT, with LOI decisions in late December, invited full proposals due February 2027, and awards announced May 2027. To review eligibility and submit an LOI, visit the webpage here.

Nucleate is accepting applications for the Activator, an open-access, equity-free accelerator for early-stage biotech founders. The program runs from team formation through venture-building workshops, mentor office hours, legal and clinical consulting, and a final pitch showcase before life sciences investors and industry veterans. Participants gain access to a network of 3,000+ leaders across biotech, pharma, and VC; alumni have launched over 300 companies and raised $650M to date.

The Activator is built for scientists, business trainees, and early professionals looking to build a venture, and takes no equity in return. Core teams form in October 2026, with workshops running February–May 2027 and pitches in May–June 2027.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis from mid-September to late October 2026, so earlier submissions get earlier consideration. To apply, click on the link here.

The FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health is accepting submissions for the READI-Home Innovation Challenge, which aims to accelerate patient access to medical devices that reduce hospital readmissions. Part of the agency’s Home as a Health Care Hub initiative, the challenge invites innovators to propose device technologies for the home setting that support patients and caregivers after an acute hospital stay.

The challenge is open to medical device innovators developing home-use technologies. Submissions are accepted through September 30, 2026. To review submission requirements and apply, click on the link here.

The editors of Science, in partnership with the BioInnovation Institute (BII) in Copenhagen, are accepting entries for a prize recognizing researchers working at the intersection of life sciences and entrepreneurship. The award goes to scientists who combine strong basic research with a clear eye toward commercial application such as work protected as intellectual property and licensed to a commercial entity, including drugs and biologics, diagnostics, therapeutics, health IT, or biobased production of fuels, chemicals, and foods. Applications that took real risks are welcome even where the outcome was a negative result.

The grand prize winner receives $25,000 and publication in Science, in print and online; up to two runners-up receive $10,000 and online publication. The prize is judged on a 1,000-word essay describing the applicant’s research, and winning essays are published in Science. Submissions are due November 1, 2026. To review the full rules and apply, click on the link here.