The CTSI Service Center provides a range of services and resources to investigators performing translational research across UF. The CTSI Service Center’s programs, resources and core facilities and how they can assist you can be found at: https://www.ctsi.ufl.edu/research/

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UF Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 3D Prototyping Lab
Medical Device Development Centers
UF Center for Natural Products Drug Discovery and Development

We’re in the process of developing content. Come back for more information as we update our website. If you have specific needs, please email us a ufinnovatepathways@research.ufl.edu.

Contents:
BridgeBio Pharma – UF Partnership
BARDA Opportunities
NIH RADx Opportunities
National Science Foundation – Partnerships for Innovation

BridgeBio Pharma – UF Partnership

BridgeBio Pharma, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on genetic diseases, has entered into a strategic collaboration with the University of Florida to translate research in genetically driven disease and cancers towards clinical development and potential commercialization.

Potential funding opportunities include:

• $25,000-100,000 grants for early-stage projects (with exciting science and a therapeutic idea for genetic disease, but no IP or therapeutic identified yet) or
• $150,000-250,000 SRAs for later-stage projects with in vitro proof of concept data on the approach

UF faculty working interested in proposing a project that aligns with BridgeBio’s areas of interest outlined below should email ufinnovatepathways@research.ufl.edu. to obtain more information. UF Innovate will review all proposals before submission to BridgeBio.

BridgeBio’s areas of interest are:

• Any disease with at least roughly 2,000 patients in the US + EU and with a well-characterized mutation known to cause the disease
• Any approach that directly targets or compensates for the underlying genetic defect (e.g., directly inhibits a gain-of-function protein, replaces a loss-of-function protein)
• Any therapeutic modality that has shown general feasibility in humans, such as by showing efficacy in a phase 2 or phase 3 clinical trial. This generally includes small molecules, antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, peptides, topical formulas, viral-based gene therapies, and oligonucleotides.

BARDA Opportunities

BARDA DRIVe programs accelerate the development and availability of transformative technologies and approaches to protect Americans from health security threats. Through public-private partnerships, DRIVe stimulates innovation though non-dilutive and dilutive funding and the DRIVe Accelerator Network connects BARDA to thirteen accelerators across the U.S. in regions where there is heavy activity in developing health security products and technologies in biotechnology, life science research, and medical innovations. The network supports early-stage companies throughout their journey – from identifying a need to product launch – to help them overcome their biggest business, marketing, and operational hurdles, and achieve success sooner. For more information about the various BARDA DRIVe programs visit this website.

NIH RADx Opportunities

The RADx Tech initiative aims to speed the development, validation, and commercialization of innovative point-of-care and home-based tests, as well as improve clinical laboratory tests, that can directly detect the COVID-19 virus. Visit the NIH RADx website to learn more about their various programs.

National Science Foundation NSF – Partnerships for Innovation

To learn more visit here. You may view slides from a June 2021 PFI Q&A Office Hours webinar as well as a recording of this webinar for more information about the program.

PFI (Partnerships for Innovation) accepts proposals in two broad tracks:

PFI-TT up to $250,000 for 18 months
The Technology Translation (PFI-TT) track offers an NSF-funded researcher the opportunity to advance her or his prior NSF-funded research results toward developing technological innovations with promising commercial potential and societal impact.

PFI-TT supports commercial potential demonstration projects for academic research outputs in any NSF-funded science and engineering discipline. This demonstration is achieved through proof-of-concept, prototyping, technology development and/or scale-up work.

Concurrently, students and postdoctoral fellows who participate in PFI-TT projects receive education and leadership training in innovation and entrepreneurship. Successful PFI-TT projects generate technology-driven commercialization outcomes that address societal needs.

PFI-RP up to $550,000 for 36 months

The Research Partnerships (PFI-RP) track seeks to achieve the same goals as the PFI-TT track by supporting instead complex, multi-faceted technology development projects that are typically beyond the scope of a single researcher or institution and require a multi-organizational, interdisciplinary, synergistic collaboration.

A PFI-RP project requires the creation of partnerships between academic researchers and third-party organizations such as industry, non-academic research organizations, federal laboratories, public or non-profit technology transfer organizations or other universities.

Such partnerships are needed to conduct applied research on a stand-alone larger project toward commercialization and societal impact. In the absence of such synergistic partnership, the project’s likelihood for success would be minimal.

To receive guidance on IND, IDE application and reporting requirements contact:
Sheila Austin at the CTSI: sheila.austin@ufl.edu.

To receive guidance on regulatory submissions, informed consent, IRB submissions and clinical trials.gov registration and compliance contact Tiffany Danielle Pineda at the CTSI: tiffany.danielle@ufl.edu.