The Translational Opportunity Fund is a new grant program that aligns with UO’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Initiative and is funded by generous donations from donors interested in accelerating the impact of innovations resulting from UO research. The program offers three funding tiers that provide support for resources needed to successfully translate UO innovators’ research and to launch new UO research-based startup companies. The three tracks align with different stages in the innovation and company spinout trajectory.

In order to support economic development that is more fully equitable, the Translational Opportunity Fund particularly seeks applications from individuals that come from populations that are historically underrepresented in translational research and research-based entrepreneurship.

Applications for the Translational Opportunity Fund are open on a rolling basis to all faculty researchers with a disclosed innovation. The first step in the application process is to share the basic details of your innovation with Innovation Partners. You can do this by proposing to work on a previously disclosed innovation or by disclosing a new innovation online via our Innovation Portal. Learn more here.

Business Oregon offers an SBIR support program for Oregon entrepreneurs. From the Business Oregon site: "Business Oregon encourages small businesses in the state to access this non-dilutive, but very competitive, funding and seeks to provide businesses with advantages in accessing it. To achieve that goal, the agency has three types of grants to assist companies: Matching Grants, Phase 0 Grants, and Phase 00 Grants."

Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Research (SBIR and STTR)  funds are government grants provided in support of small business research. We strongly encourage faculty and staff to consult with university offices prior to preparing and submitting an SBIR/STTR application (particularly if this is your first).  If you are embarking on that exciting journey of forming a new company, make sure you have picked up your conflict of commitment/conflict of interest approval first from the UO Conflict of Committment officer. A few things to remember about SBIR and STTR: 

• UO services and resources normally available to UO staff and faculty are not available to the business receiving the SBIR/STTR award unless prior arrangements are made with the appropriate UO institutional officials
• If the project involves Human Subjects or Animal Research, the business will need its own Federalwide Assurance (FWA) prior to receiving the funds, and cannot presume reliance upon the University's Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
• While UO staff and faculty are not allowed to use their UO time and resources -- including staff and students -- to develop and submit the STTR/SBIR application, Industry, Innovation, and Translation (IIT) can help you identify state and other regional help to get your proposal to the finish line.
• Once your company is awarded a SBIR/STTR grant, UO employees cannot engage in the sponsored activities as an agent of the UO and the sponsored business, unless these activities are established through a subaward or other agreement, and approved by UO.
• There are limitations based on the phase of your project and differences between federal agencies, so consulting with the office of research is well worth your time.
• Investigators are strongly encouraged to consult with their own department/center director as well as Industry, Innovation, and Translation (IIT), Academic Affairs, Human Resources, Sponsored Project Services, Research Compliance Services, and any other University units typically involved in the particular type of research activities to be funded.
• For more details see the NIH's SBIR FAQs and the SBIR/STTR (R&R) Application Guide. If you have any questions about how this may apply to your project, please contact Industry, Innovation, and Translation early in the grant application process.

To learn more about the application process, support programs, and current funding opportunities, visit the SBIR/STTR support center.

For more resources, go to ScienceEd.com to view webinars about the startup process. Webinars are free for UO personnel.

Graphic provided courtesy of VertueLab.