Category Archives: Opportunities

Opportunity Alert: 2014 NIH SBIR & STTR Omnibus Grant Solicitation for Small Businesses

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National Cancer Institute

SBIR and STTR

Available Now!
2014 NIH SBIR & STTR Omnibus Grant Solicitation for Small Businesses

Are you a small business in need of funding to advance your novel cancer technology?
The 2014 SBIR and STTR Omnibus Grant Solicitation of the NIH is now live and the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) budget for the program is increasing. Funding from the NCI Small Business Innovation Research & Small Business Tech Transfer (SBIR & STTR) Programs can help you advance your technology towards commercialization and can also help spark investor interest in your business.

The next application due date is April 5, 2014. We encourage you to start preparing your application and are happy to provide feedback on your project. If you’d like to take advantage of this opportunity, please email the NCI SBIR program director listed in your relevant technology area. Also be sure to check that all of your required registrations are complete. It’s never too early to start the registration process.

New changes in the 2014 Omnibus Solicitation include additional provisions of the 2011 SBIR & STTR Reauthorization Act, so please read the solicitations carefully.

  • Applicants may now switch between SBIR & STTR Programs. Those who previously were funded under an STTR Phase I award are now eligible to apply for an SBIR Phase II award, and vice versa.
  • Small business concerns that are majority-owned by multiple venture capital operating companies (VCOCs), hedge funds and/or private equity firms are eligible to apply to the NIH SBIR program. View frequently asked questions on VC participation. 

View the Application Guide for NIH and Other PHS Agencies for more information on preparing and submitting SBIR & STTR applications.

 
PHS 2014-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH, CDC, FDA and ACF for Small Business Innovation Research Grant Applications (Parent SBIR [R43/R44])
Receipt Dates: April 5, 2014; August 5, 2014; December 5, 2014PHS 2014-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH for Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Applications (Parent STTR [R41/R42])
Receipt Dates: April 5, 2014; August 5, 2014; December 5, 2014

Applications proposing innovative cancer-related technologies, with strong commercial potential, in a wide range of topic areas, are invited through the Omnibus Solicitations. Please visit the Research Topics of Interest page on the SBIR website to view the list of portfolio areas.  

NCI particularly encourages applications in the following 

  • Development of Low Cost Technologies for Global Health
  • Development of Companion Diagnostics
  • Vaccine Development for Cancer Prevention
  • Novel Technologies to Address “Undruggable” Drug Targets
  • New Technologies to Assess Tissue-Based Markers of Tumor Death and Mitochondrial Stress in Response to Therapy
Additional funding opportunities include:

 

Who is Eligible to Apply:
U.S. small business concerns: 

  • SBIR & STTR: Small business concerns that are more than 50% directly owned and controlled by one or more individuals, other business concerns, or any combination of these; OR be a joint venture in which each entity in the joint venture must meet certain requirements.
  • SBIR only: Small business concerns that are more than 50% owned by multiple venture capital operating companies, hedge funds, private equity firms, or any combination of these.

Benefits of Applying:

  • SBIR & STTR funding can be a leveraging tool to help attract additional funding from other third-party investors.
  • Awards are not loans; no repayment is required.
  • SBIR & STTR funding is non-dilutive capital (i.e., an award does not impact the company’s stock or shares in any way). Intellectual property rights to technologies developed under these programs are retained by the small business concern.
  • SBIR & STTR awards provide recognition, verification, and visibility.

Questions?
Contact the NCI SBIR Development Center at NCIsbir@mail.nih.gov, or a Program Director with the relevant area of expertise, http://sbir.cancer.gov/contact_us.asp.

Please visit http://sbir.cancer.gov/ to learn more about the NCI SBIR & STTR Programs.

The SBIR & STTR Programs are NCI’s engine of innovation for developing and commercializing novel technologies and products to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. The SBIR & STTR Programs are government set-aside programs for domestic small businesses to engage in research and development that has the potential for commercialization and public benefit.Sign up to receive updates about
SBIR & STTR funding opportunities at
sbir.cancer.gov

Venture Madness – a new kind of startup battle – apply today

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Venture Madness – a new kind of startup battle – applications open today

Venture Madness, presented by Invest Southwest in partnership with Arizona Commerce Authority, is a competition where 64 startups from around the southwest will go head-to-head and compete for a portion of the $25,000 prize.

For the last 20 years, Invest Southwest, has been the premier capital conference in the region connecting investors with ventures and has had an “investment-centric focus” format, until this year. The event has gone through a serious transformation by responding to the needs of its audience and embracing the vibrancy of the startup community, starting with Venture Madness.

How Venture Madness works: Think of it as the “Battle of the Brackets” where startups duel it out bracket-style for the top slot. Thirty-two (of 64) bracket spots will be awarded to past participants from the Arizona Innovation Challenge (AIC); the remaining 32 spots will be filled through open enrollment. Startups from the southwest can apply today, December 6, 2013, through January 3, 2014.

Once the 64 ventures are established, there will be two online elimination rounds and 16 companies will advance to the live-demo rounds before a panel of judges on March 5-7, at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale.

Jonathan Ariano, chairman of Invest Southwest and Partner with Osborn Maledon, explains the new format and vibe, “Before, we used to have 12-14 companies go through a mentoring process to produce a ten minute presentation, with no Q&A, nor a contest-it was more of an investment-centric conference. When we went through the revamping process, we started thinking like a startup and asked ourselves ‘who is our customer?’ and spent months brainstorming on what that looked like. What we realized is that there are great programs and incubators that help entrepreneurs, but what was missing was the connective tissue…and that’s our job. We will be the connection to the investor community and showcasing what the Southwest has to offer-and the best way we can do that is Venture Madness.”

As part of the Venture Madness event, the organizers have weaved in more investor and startup connection opportunities including lunch-n-learns, cocktail parties and a Spring Training outing.

“We are really excited about this new format,” said Ariano. “There are a lot of great companies in the Southwest and the level of quality just keeps going up.”

Hey startups! Open enrollment starts now! Companies interested in participation must complete the online application, as well as create and submit a 90-second elevator pitch video. Applications and more information for Venture Madness, including detailed instructions, are available online at http://VentureMadness.com.

Venture Madness timeline:

  • December 6, 2013: Startup application opens
  • December 16, 2013: Event tickets available for purchase online
  • January 3, 2014: Startup applications close
  • February 3 – 14, 2014: First online elimination round with a 64 company bracket
  • February 17 – 24, 2014: Second online elimination round with a 32 company bracket
  • February 24, 2014: 16 companies to pitch live announced
  • March 5, 2014: Venture Madness 2014 kicks off with an evening cocktail reception at Talking Stick Resort
  • March 6, 2014: Third elimination round, 16 companies to pitch live
  • March 7, 2014: Elimination rounds four – six; Venture Madness Champion announced

Source:  http://aztechbeat.com/2013/12/venture-madness-new-kind-of-startup-battle-applications-open-today/

FedEx® Deep Frozen Shipping Solution now part of BIO Business Solutions

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BIO Business Solutions® has teamed up with FedEx to now include specialized deep frozen shipping solutions to member companies. The FedEx® Deep Frozen Shipping Solution provides innovative liquid nitrogen dry vapor technology via a cryogenic dewar along with end-to-end shipment monitoring and visibility. Specifically suited for preserving the integrity of biogenics, this solution provides up to 10 days of holding time at temperature ranges down to -150˚C. The solution offers member companies several advantages:

  • Keeps tissue samples and substances deep-frozen at -150°C
  • Provides up to 10 days without need for dry ice or power
  • Meets International Air Transport Association (IATA) requirements for both infectious substances (UN3373) and non-infectious clinical samples
  • Eliminates inventory of insulated boxes and dry ice
  • Provides advanced tracking and proactive monitoring via FedEx Priority AlertTM.
  • FedEx provides end-to-end solutions to help your temperature sensitive products maintain optimum temperature while in transit across the nation or across the ocean.

Member Benefits

Discounted Flat Fee of $435 for Domestic or $750 for international shipment

Enrollment

To enroll in the FedEx® Deep Frozen Shipping Solution, click below:

More Information

For more information on FedEx® Deep Frozen Shipping Solution, call 1-888-370-3971

FedEx® Deep Frozen Shipping Solution Case Study

Read the case study below to learn how Cenetron Diagnostics was successful using the FedEx® Deep Frozen Shipping Solution to cost effectively transport and track temperature sensitive clinical trial shipments and to learn how businesses like yours are taking advantage of powerful integration solutions with FedEx. As a reminder, FedEx Web Services allows you to integrate FedEx® shipping, tracking, rating, address validation, reporting tools, and more, directly into your website.

Read more here: Cenetron_Case_Study.pdf

Eligible Affiliates

All AZBio and BIO members are eligible to utilize the BIO Business Solutions® program with FedEx.

Opportunity Alert: ECONOMIC RESEARCH ANALYST at ACA

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The Arizona Commerce Authority is seeking an economic research analyst to join its top-notch research team in Phoenix. The ACA’s mission is to grow and strengthen Arizona’s economy and facilitate the creation of quality jobs in the state by supporting and attracting businesses in targeted, high-value base sectors. The research team compiles and analyzes economic data to assist in business attraction, business development and business retention.Continue reading→

Sign Up for the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry

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alzheimers prevention registry


Launching a research study often takes years of work, and most of the effort occurs behind the scenes. The exciting news is that several of these studies have just launched or are close to being ready to start recruiting participants through the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry. And more studies will launch in the coming years. Here is a snapshot of a few of the studies that will be taking place in the United States and other countries around the world:

  • A trial in 1000 adults ages 65-85 who have evidence of amyloid plaque build up in their brain based on a screening PET scan, and  who are at risk for Alzheimer’s disease but are still cognitively healthy to determine whether an experimental medication may delay cognitive decline
  • A trial in nearly 6,000 adults ages 65-83 to learn about the genetic risk for developing mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease and whether an experimental medication might delay the symptoms
  • Two trials in a rare, hereditary form of early-onset Alzheimer’s with experimental medications to determine if treatment delays cognitive impairment
  • And many more.

Imagine having tens of thousands of volunteers awaiting an e-mail from the Registry announcing that a study is ready to begin enrollment in their communities.  Researchers could quickly screen and fill their enrollment sites in a matter of weeks or months, not years. Saving this precious time means we get to answers faster.
This is why the Alzheimer’s Prevention Registry will play a vital role in these and other prevention trials.

Take action:   While researchers work to get these and other studies ready, you can help by continuing to encourage your friends and family to sign up for the Registry.