EXEC. VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH

PROOF OF CONCEPT GRANT PROGRAM

“POCG”

FY2008

*Please Note Program Clarifications and Changes for FY08:

Description of the PROGRAM:

The Proof of Concept Grants (POCG) program is a Grant program internal to the University of Louisville funded by the University and administered by Manuel Martinez-Maldonado, MD, Executive Vice President for Research. Competitions for these grants are held on a rolling basis, with up to two grants awarded per quarter.  Full- and part-time Faculty, Staff and Students of the University of Louisville who have filed a Research Disclosure with the Office of Technology Transfer (on the research for which additional funding is requested) may apply for one of these internal UofL grants. 

The principal focus of the grant program is to provide pre-seed proof of concept funds for early stage projects in which the applicant intends to actively work with the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) to transfer the technology to the private sector for commercialization.  Special consideration will be given to projects in disciplines in which there is a greater opportunity for later funding and venture capital support or platform technologies that could form the solid basis of a start-up company. 

Funding Levels: A minimum of four awards, up to a maximum amount of $25,000 each, are planned for each fiscal year up to a total of $200,000 per year.  While a cap of $25,000 is permitted, applicants are encouraged to only request the amount they require to accomplish their specific goal as approved budgets will be examined and modified as appropriate.

Deadline:  Applications are due to by 5pm on the 15th day of August, November, February and May.  When the 15^th falls on a weekend or Holiday, the deadline shall be 5pm on the first business day after the 15^th.

Where:  Applications should be delivered to James Zanewicz, JD, LLM, Director, Office of Technology Transfer at Suite 215, 201 E Jefferson Street.  Review will occur on a quarterly basis.

POCG Grant Program Cover Sheet

POCG Proposals will be judged based on selection criteria including the following:

1. Significance of the technology described in the proposal (for example: low significance to truly unique).
2. Ability of the technology to be broadly protected by patent claims or copyright (allowing broad exclusivity).
3. Potential commercial value of the future product arising from the technology.
4. Ability of the work plan to reach a significant milestone along the technology's commercialization path.
5. Economic impact of technology at product state: low to high.

1. Provide the descriptive work plan of the proposed research/work utilizing the POCG Funding.
2. What information/results will you create/learn from this work plan?
3. What will the concrete outcome or utility be of the information generated by the grant?
4. What is the primary ultimate end product and/or use the applicant has in mind?
5. Stepping beyond the primary goal, what are all other existing Commercial Applications of this Research (Think broad, and beyond your focused research scope)?
6. What will the next step be after the POCG funding has been used (to move the Technology along the Commercial pathway)?  Alternatively stated, after these funds are expended what will remain to be done to move the technology into commercial and/or consumer use?
   
7. What additional funding will be applied for following completion of the POCG Award (provide name and/or type of grant or funding source).

• As the purpose of the program is to move technologies along the pathway to becoming a licensed technology, technologies that are already subject to license agreements are not eligible

• Faculty/Innovatior Salary is not an allowed expense

• Travel is not an allowed expense

• Outside Consultants are not an allowed expense

• Indirect Costs are not an allowed expense

• While a cap of $25,000 is permitted, applicants are encouraged to only request the amount they require to accomplish their specific goal as approved budgets will be examined and modified as appropriate.