OPPORTUNITIES
Concept to Clinic: Commercializing Innovation (C3i) Program: Education (eC3i)
Summary/Description
e-C3i Pilot
The e-C3i course is a newly launched online component of the NIH’s C3i Program and is designed to provide medical device innovators with an educational foundation of business frameworks and tools to assess the opportunity to translate an idea from the lab (concept) to the market (clinic). Through this course, the NIH provides entrepreneurial education for investigators who are interested in better understanding the value of their innovation in addressing an unmet market need. The online curriculum and customized mentoring provided by the e-C3i course are intended to guide investigators as they assess the commercial viability and potential business opportunity for their innovation.
To be considered for participation in the 2021 e-C3i course, you must complete the application form (see the Full Listing link) and submit via email to the appropriate Institute or Center contact. Prospective BRAIN applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their program officer for more information about this program before submitting an application. Applications are due by May 25, 2021.
Program Description
The e-C3i course is an online entrepreneurial education platform, covering 10-weeks and providing valuable business approaches to evaluating the commercial potential of promising biomedical technologies. Participants in the e-C3i Program will learn an initial set of core skills that will enable them to:
- characterize the unmet market need
- identify the key product attributes
- conduct customer and stakeholder interviews
- validate the business opportunity
The teams will be guided through a series of self-learning online modules focused on pressure-testing commercial viability of ideas using universal business criteria as well as the unique requirements of medical device commercialization. Participants will also work with seasoned business advisors who provide insight into the learning objectives from their experiences in the medical device industry. Participants will present their learnings and findings at several checkpoints throughout the course and are expected to create a final presentation that assesses the completion of the learning objectives.
The e-C3i course is being offered to investigators with active NIH-funded research grants from participating Institutes and Centers. All costs associated with participation in the program are covered. Up to 24 project teams will be selected to participate in the e-C3i course in 2021. Additionally, project teams that successfully complete the e-C3i course will be eligible to matriculate into the core C3i Program for continued entrepreneurial training.
Participating Institutes/Centers
The following Institutes and Centers will be participating in the 2021 e-C3i course. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NIH Scientific/Research staff for more information about this program before submitting an application.
- National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Dr. Michael-David A.R.R. Kerns
Phone: 301-402-7713
Email: Michael-David.Kerns@nih.gov - National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
Todd Merchak
Telephone: 301-496-8592
Email: NIBIB-SBIR@mail.nih.gov
Ilana G. Goldberg
Telephone: 301-402-3465
Email: NIBIB-SBIR@mail.nih.gov - National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Daniel Gossett, Ph.D.
Telephone: 301-569-0395
Email: daniel.gossett@nih.gov - National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Paige Anderson
Phone: 301-827-6550
Email: paige.anderson@nih.gov - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Emily Caporello
Telephone: 301-496-1779
Email: emily.caporello@nih.gov - National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Stephanie Davis
Telephone: 301-496-2149
Email: NHLBI_SBIR@mail.nih.gov - Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative
For investigators with active BRAIN Initiative awards through NIMH, NIA, NIBIB and NINDS please contact the NIH Scientific/Research staff for that Institute (see above).
For all other BRAIN Initiative investigators, please contact:
Ilana G. Goldberg
Telephone: 301-402-3465
Email: NIBIB-SBIR@mail.nih.gov
Ryan Richardson
Telephone: 301-443-8013
Email: ryan.richardson@nih.gov
Eligibility
The e-C3i course is being offered to investigators with active NIH-funded research projects from participating Institutes and Centers. It is designed for medical device innovators who are interested learning how to assess if their project represents a compelling commercialization opportunity.
It is recommended that participating Project Teams consist of at least two members: 1) inventor or technical lead, and 2) graduate student or post-doctoral candidate involved in the project. The inventor or technical lead has primary responsibility for achieving the technical success of the project. The technical lead should be the PD/PI for the parent award project, or a co-investigator, with in-depth knowledge of the technology or innovation. The graduate student or post-doctoral candidate should be an individual with a strong interest in investigating the commercial landscape surrounding the innovation and would be likely to pursue an entrepreneurial role if a company were to be formed. Project Team members are not required to be key personnel on the parent award project.
While the e-C3i course is designed for self-learning with one-on-one coaching elements, there is a structure and cadence to the course such that consistent participation is required across the exercises and sessions, which build upon each other. Thus, the course is only recommended for participants who can commit the time and effort to actively and consistently participate in the coursework, webinars, and one-on-one coaching sessions (estimated 10-15 hours per week).
The Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative will support active grant awards from BRAIN-funded research project (F32, F99/K00, K99/R00, R01, R24, R25, R34, R41, R42, R43, R44, RF1, U01, U19, U24, U44, UF1, UG3/UH3, UH2/UH3) activity codes. Prospective BRAIN applicants are strongly encouraged to contact their program officer for more information about this program before submitting an application.
Please refer to the Full Listing link for further details.
Eligibility
- Pre-graduate
- Post-doctoral/Residency
- Early Career
- Established Investigator
- Small Businesses