KYNETIC

The KYNETIC (Kentucky Network for Innovation & Commercialization) program supports faculty, staff, trainees and students who want to accelerate introduction of their ground-breaking innovations to the marketplace to address unmet needs to benefit human health.

 KYNETIC does this by:

  • Developing infrastructure for identifying technologies;
  • Allocating funding (up to $200k/technology) for product definition studies (e.g., feasibility studies, prototype development, or proof-of-concept studies);
  • Providing access to early-stage development expertise and mentorship;
  • Offering hands-on skills development in entrepreneurism; and
  • Accelerating development of commercialization strategies.

Eligible KYNETIC projects must originate from a participating university or community/technical college in Kentucky and focus on healthcare-related product development. 

The KYNETIC program is funded through the National Institute of Health’s Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub (REACH) program. The goal of the program is to support proof-of-concept centers (hubs) that facilitate and accelerate the translation of biomedical innovations into commercial products that improve patient care and enhance health.

The KYNETIC hub is led by the University of Louisville (UofL), University of Kentucky (UK) and Kentucky Commercialization Ventures (KCV). The long-term goals of the program are to foster commercialization success, economic development and entrepreneurial culture change throughout Kentucky.

View our training library videos here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is KYNETIC different from other grant programs?

The KYNETIC program is not a traditional grant program; it is product-focused, milestone driven and requires business-case project management. Applicants who are invited to submit a full application will work with KYNETIC staff and/or mentors to develop a product development plan and timeline with specified milestones.

Who is eligible to apply for the KYNETIC program?

This RFA is open to all faculty, staff, trainees, and students at participating Kentucky state universities and community colleges. Non-faculty applicants must identify a faculty member who is willing to sponsor their application. Applications must focus on developing products that have the potential to improve patient care or enhance human health. All types of products (e.g. therapeutic, preventative, device, test, software) are eligible.

The following institutions participate in the KYNETIC network: University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Eastern Kentucky University, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, and Western Kentucky University. The network also includes the 16 colleges in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.

What benchmarks will I need to meet in the program?

Receipt of funding for selected projects will be milestone-driven and KYNETIC staff will monitor development progress. There will be a continuation evaluation (go/no-go decision) every six months and non-progressing projects may be terminated and replaced with new projects.

What's the budget?

Requests for up to $40,625 per project, over a period of 6 months, will be considered. Projects are eligible for competitive renewal every 6 months, up to 4 funding cycles.

What's KYNETIC’s policy on intellectual property?

Applications should involve ideas that originate from within a participating institution (making them potentially eligible for patent protection, copyright or some other mechanism) or university-derived technologies with pending/issued patents or copyright. Technologies that are already licensed to a company are not eligible. If you are a UofL faculty member, please see our Intellectual Property page for more information on securing your technology.