uconn

Starting a Company

A startup is a new business entity formed to commercialize one or more related intellectual properties. Forming a startup business is an alternative to licensing the IP to an established business.  There are several factors you should consider to determine if a startup is viable path. Examples include:

  • Idea-Team-Plan Trifecta.  A successful start-up evolves around three key ingredients:  (1) a new idea, supported by initial data, (2) an experienced team to develop and deliver technical and business goals, and (3) a business plan that serves as a road map.
  • Not every great idea needs to be a company.  Consider alternative paths, such as partnership, co-development, licensing, and more.
  • Execution Risk.  While having a new idea is necessary for creating a startup, it is not sufficient for its success. It requires focused team-work, and willingness to take in advice and to pivot when necessary.
  • Competition and Collaboration.  Two key elements to be fully aware of and respond to with a dynamic approach.
  • Funding.  How much capital is required to deliver various milestones, what sources to pursue, and Return on Investment (ROI)?
  • Market Size and Dynamic.  Is the market large enough and is it a stable, shrinking or expanding market?
  • Revenue and Exit.  What is the revenue projection and potential key opportunities for exit?

TCS Venture Development can help to determine if a startup company is viable, and will advise on other key issues relating to starting a company. The choice to establish a new company for commercializing intellectual property is a joint decision made by TCS and the inventors. If a new business startup is chosen as the preferred commercialization path, TCS can assist you and the other founders in meeting investors, consultants and entrepreneurs and accessing other resources at UConn to advise you in founding the company. It is advisable for inventors to have agreements regarding their roles with the startup reviewed by their own counsel to ensure that all personal ramifications – including taxation and liabilities – are clearly understood.

The general process for the selection of potential technologies for a university startup includes a review of inventions based on criteria such as:

  • Technology novelty, supported with initial data
  • The market size
  • The technology can be adequately protected through patents, copyright or trademark to create barriers that make market entry difficult for competitors.
  • The technology is scalable.
  • The estimate of the net present value of the return (less the costs of getting the business going) is much greater than the value that can be obtained by executing a typical license with an existing company.
  • Is a prototype/proof of concept available?
  • Do the inventors have a reasonable understanding of what is required to build a business, and what their roles may be?
  • Does the business model have a visible path to profitability?
  • Are the initial management and financing needs reasonably clear?

TCS Assistance:

  • Early stage involvement. TCS Venture Development staff is actively involved in the early stages of the company formation and work with their network of professionals to develop a business plan and find initial management, space and other critical elements. In some cases, the advisors and Executives In Residence (EIRs) may take on interim management roles to facilitate the accomplishments of key milestones, such as drafting a business plan, meeting with venture capital firms or angel investors to obtain funding and assisting with a liquidity event.
  • Business/financing assistance.  TCS Venture Development staff can provide business help and/or financing advice.  We have several programs for assisting in market research, business planning and the set-up of new companies including a business incubator that offers space and business services and the Business School’s Innovation Accelerator where MBA students and faculty undertake semester-long projects.
  • Connections with industry partners.  TCS Venture Development helps to connect researchers and industry partners.  We strive to connect external entrepreneurs and businesses with collaborators within a university or to identify resources that will help them advance their technologies and business interests. Many opportunities to create mutually beneficial projects between university researchers and regional tech entrepreneurs can be initiated thanks to this ability to efficiently connect.
    • TCS serves in a liaison role.  External businesses and entrepreneurs are invited to contact TCS Venture Development staff and discuss their initiatives, needs, goals and objectives. TCS works with these clients to understand the key issues and to determine if there are opportunities to develop mutually beneficial working relationships and projects. Venture Development staff can provide business help and/or financing advice.
    • Establishes projects that advance businesses toward commercial success.  These projects are selected to align with UConn research interests, such that as early-stage companies achieve success, they are well positioned to strengthen their collaborations with UConn researchers. These projects are also selected based on the ability to generate positive economic development outcomes in the region. Typical engagements include market research projects on behalf of small firms who are applying for SBIR grants that, if successful, will lead to opportunities to engage UConn researchers and their graduate students on larger development programs. UConn faculty who are interested in reaching out to small technology businesses in the state are encouraged to contact TCS.
  • Incubator program. UConn’s Technology Incubation Program (“TIP”) is part of TCS.  TIP offers new companies that have a technology linkage or synergistic relationship with UConn the ability to be located on campus and access resources that could be otherwise unattainable for a fledgling company. TCS supports the incubation process offering lab and office facilities on campus, business-planning resources, and access to faculty experts, expensive instrumentation and specialized equipment. In some cases TCS clients are working with UConn technology and others have their own intellectual property.  TIP provides the following services to startup companies:
    • Investment Network – Access to various sources of capital available within CT and other locations, through direct introduction, office-hours with investors and public and private events.
    • Library and Computer Network – Access to UConn Libraries, the largest public research collection in the state. The University of Connecticut Libraries provide users with intellectual content that fulfills their academic and research needs through electronic and physical access.
    • Equipment/Instrumentation – Some of the departments and faculty have large and expensive specialized items of equipment. TCS’s incubator helps negotiate agreements between the relevant faculty and the company, given that time is available on the instrument and client employees have been properly trained.
    • Business Support – Through a network of service providers and advisors, TIP provides a variety of business consultants including accountants, lawyers and subject matter experts to help with issues important to startup companies. TCS staff can support business plan development and financial planning. TCS organizes educational and networking events to promote collaboration among faculty and company scientists, to provide exposure to experienced entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial resources, and to assist through connections with advisors and mentors. Through the School of Business, TIP can arrange access to knowledgeable faculty and students able to conduct business development projects for emerging companies. Learn about our TIP program.

For additional resources to help you start your business, see our Startup Guidebook.

Licensing

Once a faculty discovery has been patented, that’s not the end of the line!  The next step is to find an industry partner who would like to license the technology.

Marketing a technology:

TCS uses many sources and strategies to identify potential licensees and market inventions. Sometimes existing relationships of the inventors, TCS and other researchers are useful in marketing an invention. Market research can also assist in identifying prospective licensees. In addition, we also examine other complimentary technologies and agreements to assist our efforts. Faculty publications and presentations are often excellent marketing tools as well.

Licensees can be identified in many ways. First, the inventors are often aware of the commercial companies who would be interested in the work. Industry-specific marketing efforts, including trade show participation, affiliations and market research carried out by TCS, also seek to identify potential licensees. Additionally, issued patents listed by the USPTO can provide names of companies who currently have patents similar in nature; often these can prove to be potential licensees.

How you can help:

Your active involvement can dramatically improve the chances of matching an invention to an outside company. Studies have shown that 70% of licensees were known to the inventors. Thus research and consulting relationships are often a valuable source for licensees. Your research and consulting relationships are often helpful in both identifying potential licensees and technology champions within companies. Once interested companies are identified, the inventor is the best person to describe the details of the invention and its technical advantages. The most successful technology transfer results are obtained when the inventor and TCS Licensing Director work together as a team to market and promote use of the technology.

Working with industry:

Marketing technology to a potential licensee will usually require that a Confidentiality Agreement be established.  The OVPR can negotiate these agreements for you and has the legal authority from the University to do so. Confidentiality Agreements, named Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) or Confidential Disclosure Agreements (CDAs), are agreements between UConn and an outside entity (company, person). These are used to facilitate discussions of information that the parties wish to keep out of the public view. For companies, sharing of their business needs can lead to developing solutions with UConn personnel; however, they may not want such needs to be known to their competitors. For UConn, maintaining confidentiality can preserve patent rights to inventions. Many university offices and the programs of OVPR can provide NDAs/CDAs and can ensure proper agreements are put in place.

Once their evaluation is completed, the potential partner may want to discuss the terms of a license. TCS will negotiate the terms of the license with input from the inventor regarding valuation, and other obligations, that occur in such legally binding agreements. Other terms that are included in a license include exclusivity versus non-exclusivity, world-wide rights versus rights in only some territories, all fields of use versus restricted fields of use, and many other considerations. On occasion, we will sign an option agreement, which gives a company the right to evaluate the technology for a limited time prior to making a decision about licensing (usually 6 months – 1 year). The TCS is experienced in negotiating contracts and is the designated legal authority from the University to do so. If a potential partner asks what kinds of terms the University would want in a license, please refer them to TCS.

Agreement Management:

TCS tracks the progress of the licensee towards milestones and goals established in the signed agreement. Licenses usually state that technology progress reports must be submitted regularly until a product hits the market. Some companies will fund research and development of the technology at UConn in the inventor’s lab. Others may offer a consulting position to the inventor as they develop a product at the licensee’s facilities. TCS usually continues to manage the patents, if there are any, and will sometimes need to handle patent interferences, patent infringement or deal with arbitration or litigation surrounding a technology or a license. Once a product is offered for sale, then TCS requires quarterly reports and royalty payments from the licensee, although specific terms vary from license to license. Payouts are made according to the royalty sharing policy after UConn has recouped its out-of-pocket expenses, primarily the cost of obtaining patent protection.

License Back Policy:

If TCS decides not to pursue a patent on a technology, the inventors have the option to license back the technology. The license back is a legal agreement that enables the Inventor(s) to patent and commercialize technology developed at the University.

Royalty Sharing Policy: 

Inventor contribution percentages refer to the share of net royalty income that is split amongst the inventors; the standard disposition is equal sharing. However, it is up to the inventors to propose and agree on a different formula and communicate that agreement to TCS. This is accomplished by filling out the back of the Invention Disclosure Form. Invention-related income is allocated based on the university’s Royalty Sharing Policy.

 

If you have any questions please contact us!

Gregory Gallo, Director, Technology Transfer

Donna Cyr, Director of Licensing, Physical Sciences & Engineering

Lindsay Sanford, Director of Licensing, Engineering

Amit Kumar, Director of Licensing, Business Development

or call us at 860.679.3992

Submission

Once the proposal is reviewed by the Pre-Award Specialist and all required documents are in place, the proposal is forwarded to the University’s authorized representative for review, approval and signature.  The signed proposal is then forwarded back to the Pre-Award Specialist. Submission to the sponsor is handled as follows:

Hardcopy (paper) submissions

  • Pre-Award Services returns all signed documents to the principal investigator and/or department administrator.
  • The principal investigator or department administrator submits the final approved proposal to the sponsor.
  • The principal investigator or departmental administrator forwards a full copy of the submitted proposal to Pre-Award Services at preaward@uconn.edu.
  • A full copy of the proposal is filed and is accessible to the principal investigator and department administrator via InfoEd.

Electronic submissions NOT required by the University’s institutional representative

  • Pre-Award Services returns all signed documents to the principal investigator and/or department administrator.
  • The principal investigator or department administrator submits the final approved electronic proposal to the sponsor.
  • The principal investigator and/or department administrator monitors the proposal submission through sponsor acceptance of the proposal for review. If there are errors requiring correction to the proposal or application, the principal investigator and/or department administrator makes the necessary corrections and contacts Pre-Award Services to review and approve.
  • The principal investigator or departmental administrator forwards a full copy of the submitted proposal to PreAward Services at preaward@uconn.edu.
  • A full copy of the proposal is filed and is accessible to the principal investigator and department administrator via InfoEd.

Electronic submissions required by the University’s institutional representative:

  • Pre-Award Services submits the final approved electronic proposal to the sponsor.
  • Pre-Award Services forwards all submission notifications and confirmations to the principal investigator and/or department administrator.
  • Pre-Award Services, the principal investigator and/or department administrator monitors the proposal submission through sponsor acceptance of the proposal for review. If there are errors requiring correction, the principal investigator and/or department administrator makes the necessary corrections and contacts Pre-Award Services to resubmit.
  • A full copy of the proposal is filed and is accessible to the principal investigator and department administrator via InfoEd.

Budget Justification

The proposal budget is the financial plan of action that reflects the costs required to perform the proposed work statement. It is important to demonstrate that the budget proposed is reasonable.  A budget justification should be submitted in order to allow each budget item to be explained relative to the proposed research.  The specifics of the sponsoring agency’s budgetary guidelines should be followed carefully.  Budgets should be prepared for the entire proposed project. Both direct and F & A costs should be identified in the budget.

Budgeting

The proposal budget is the financial plan of action that reflects the costs required to perform the proposed work statement.  The following information has been prepared to help you develop your budget plan.  See our Budgeting and Costing Guide for current information on fringe benefits, graduate stipends, Facilities and Administration (F&A) rates (Indirect Costs) and other budgetary matters.

It is important to demonstrate that the budget proposed is reasonable.  A budget justification should be submitted in order to allow each budget item to be explained relative to the proposed research.  The specifics of the sponsoring agency’s budgetary guidelines should be followed carefully.  Budgets should be prepared for the entire proposed project. Both direct and F & A costs should be identified in the budget.

Research Compliance

Research Integrity & Compliance Services (RICS)

Research Integrity & Compliance Services (RICS) oversees compliance requirements at the university related to research. Policies, procedures and guidelines are designed to support the responsible and ethical conduct of university research and to ensure adherence to all laws and regulations guiding research.  Major areas of compliance include:

  • Animal Subjects/IACUC
  • Human Subjects/IRB
  • Institutional Biosafety (biohazards, DNA, Select Agents, Dual Use research)
  • Research Ethics (COI, RCR, misconduct)
  • Research Safety and Security (biosafety Data use
  • Export Controls

For more information, please contact Research Integrity & Compliance Services

 

Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI)

The University requires, at a minimum, an annual disclosure from all faculty members regarding outside activities and financial interests.  At the time of proposal submission, investigators must completed their online FCOI disclosures in the InfoEd External Interests Module. Some sponsors require FCOI disclosures at the proposal stage and the University will not submit proposals until such disclosures have been completed.

All subrecipients must certify, at the proposal stage, that its institution has implemented and enforced an FCOI policy compliant with the respective regulations or that they lack a compliant FCOI policy and will implement a policy prior to subaward issuance.  Additionally, the responsible personnel at the subrecipient must complete and submit the External Investigator Disclosure Form.

For more information, please contact Financial Conflict of Interest

Proposal Contents

Most sponsors publish guidelines on how to prepare a proposal and the requirements.  The application package may also include forms that require a signature from an authorized official. Sponsor instructions should be followed carefully for format, content, and budget and submission requirements.

The following is a list of common proposal elements. If there are no sponsor guidelines these documents represent the minimum required by Pre-Award Services. For most sponsor agencies, proposals contain most or all of these elements.  (Specific agency guidelines, if available, should always be followed.)

  • Proposal guidelines from sponsoring agency or website link: assists with reviewing proposal and ensuring all sponsor requirements are met prior to submission.
  • Internal Proposal Review Form: complete for all proposals and secure signatures of the Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigator(s), Department Chair, Unit Head, and in some cases Dean as appropriate.
  • SPS Proposal Cover Page: complete if the sponsor does not provide a cover page for approval signature. Please refer to the Frequently Requested Information for assistance with completing the sponsor cover page. The University’s Authorized Representative signs all proposals on behalf of the University.
  • Proposal Narrative: describe the objectives, methodology and significance of the proposed project.
  • Budget Spreadsheet: provide a reasonable estimate of expenses for each budget category. Include cost sharing/matching only if specifically required by the funding agency. Please refer to the Budgeting and Costing Guide for assistance.
  • Budget Justification: provide a detailed explanation of all items listed in the budget. Please refer to the budget justification guide for assistance.
  • Electronic application (if applicable): provide a completed application or access to the completed application.
  • Subcontracts (if applicable): provide a statement of work, budget, budget justification, F&A Rate Agreement and Information and Compliance Form for Subrecipients, signed by an authorized official of that organization.  Please refer to the  Subaward Determination Guidance for assistance with determining the subrecipient versus contractor relationship during the budget preparation stage.
  • Research Compliance Review: Federal regulations and University policies require that various University committees approve certain proposed activities.  Compliance review and approvals for Animal and Human Subjects, Radioactive Substances, Bio-hazardous Substances, Controlled Substances, and Recombinant DNA may be necessary before your proposal can be signed.  These areas should be designated on the Internal Proposal Review Form.  Please refer to the Research Compliance section of this website for specific compliance office contacts who can assist with any approvals necessary for your proposal.
  • Optional items: The proposal contents listed below are fairly standard items required by many sponsors and may be included as part of your proposal:
    • A table of contents
    • Bibliography of pertinent literature
    • Vitae of all senior personnel
    • Recent publications
    • List of collaborators
    • Active and pending support (generally, sponsors request information on current (active/awarded) and pending support to evaluate potential scientific and/or commitment overlaps; this list should be complete including all support whether or not that support is funded through the University)
    • Description of available facilities and equipment

Development

The Pre-Award Team within the Office of the Vice President supports faculty, staff, and graduate students in their research and creative endeavors. Working with faculty and staff to increase external funding and to provide opportunities for professional growth is critical to the overall health of the University. We are here to help, so contact us early!

Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI) Public Accessibility Request Form

  • Welcome to the FCOI Public Accessibility Request form. Please complete this form to request information on a FCOI indentified on or after 8/24/12 related to Senior/Key investigators associated with a Public Health Service (PHS) funded award.

    If you need assistance in identifying the sponsor's award number and/or precise spelling of the Senior/Key investigator's name, please access the National Institutes of Health's RePORT tool for assistance at: https://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfm or https://report.nih.gov/

    Please enter the information below. Required fields necessary to process your request are marked (*):

  • Part A. Information About You

  • Part B. Information About Your Request

  • Format: 1R01CA012345-01
  • By checking the below box, I confirm that I am a member of the public requesting access to the above information.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

FCOI Electronic Submission System

System Access

Instructions for Investigators

  • To access self-service handouts with step-by-step instructions on how to perform various functions within the UConn InfoEd External Interests system, see: How-To Guides and Materials

Tips on completing a disclosure form

  • You will receive an e-mail invitation to complete a disclosure in InfoEd when your financial disclosure is due to expire.
  • Instructions on how to log-in (and a link to the system) are included in the e-mail invitation.
  • Use your UConn NetID username (e.g., abc12345) and password credentials to login. For NetID assistance, visit https://netid.uconn.edu/ for assistance looking up and resetting your UConn NetID password.
  • Move around the disclosure form by using the Next and Back buttons at the top of the page.
  • Save as you go using the Save button in the upper right corner.
  • Exit the form without submitting by closing the window (be sure to Save first). Return again later.
  • Any of the questions marked with a red asterisk (*) must be completed before a page can move forward. If any items are missing, a Mandatory Questions window will appear (click on each question to navigate to that item).  Missing items are also outlined in red.
  • To skip around previously-completed sections, use the hyperlinked navigation buttons at the top of the page (under the University’s logo) to move to that page on the form (e.g., TRAINING, SCREENING, etc).
  • Be sure to submit the form on the CERTIFICATION & SUBMISSION page by clicking the Certify and Submit button when you have finished completing your disclosure.
  • You will receive an email after submitting your disclosure.

Contacts for questions and assistance

  • Questions regarding the form or the disclosure requirements may be sent to fcoi@uconn.edu.  You may also contact an FCOI Research Compliance Monitor directly.
  • If you experience technical issues while completing your disclosure in InfoEd, please contact the eRA Help Desk at era-support@uconn.edu or 860.486.7944 (Mon-Fri, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM).

Add Undergraduate Students to InfoEd

The following URL, which requires NetID authentication, provides a near real-time, self-service method for adding current University of Connecticut undergraduate students to the Storrs and Health Center InfoEd systems with baseline (default) security.

https://apps.research.uconn.edu/ied/

Once logged in, simply search for the individual student by any of the following:

  • Name (Last, First, MI – case senstitive)
  • email address (firstname.lastname@uconn.edu – all lowercase)
  • NetID
  • PeopleSoft ID

When the correct individual is listed in the grid, check the box on the left hand side and hit one of the two blue “Add selected users to InfoEd” buttons located above and below the search results grid.  The student will have an active (valid) account in both InfoEd systems within 20 minutes between the hours of 7AM-10:45PM, seven days per week.

Note: Only students in the current search results set can be added.   To add more students, simply repeat the search, select, and add process, as necessary.

If you experience any difficulties with this website, please contact the eRA Help Desk at 860.486.7944 between the hours of 8AM-4:30PM M-F, or email era-support@uconn.edu and someone will get back to you.

Scholarship Facilitation Fund Spring 2018

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) is pleased to announce the recipients of the Spring 2018 Scholarship Facilitation Fund (SFF) Awards. Funding support totaling $50,950 will be granted to 30 exciting faculty projects.

The SFF program offers crucial support to faculty research, scholarly activities, creative works, and interdisciplinary initiatives. These competitive awards provide up to $2000 to assist faculty in the initiation, completion, or advancement of these projects.

Additional information about the program, including the guidelines and application form, are available on the OVPR website. The deadline for the Fall 2018 awards is June 1, 2018.

The Spring 2018 SFF awardees are:

Jorge Aguero, Economics, Does Educating Girls Promote Long-Run Economic Development? Evidence from Zimbabwe

Ellen Carillo, English, Teaching Readers in Post-Truth America

Andrea Celli, Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, Hagar’s Suffering: A Counter-Reformist Subject. The Roman Patronage, and the Invention of ‘Abrahamic Religions’

Amanda Denes, Communication, Testing the Moderating Effects of Genotypic Variation on the Brain Mechanisms of Empathy

Shareen Hertel, Political Science, Tethered Fates: Promoting Cooperation between Communities and Corporations

Stephanie Kennedy, School of Social Work, Attitudes Toward Ex-offenders: An Exploration of Felt and Enacted Stigma

Kyounghae Kim, School of Nursing, Factors Associated with Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Administration: Findings of a Retrospective Study of Pediatric Clinics in Connecticut

Alexander Kovner, Physics, Quasi Collectivity in Proton-proton Collisions at High Energy

Brenda Kurz, School of Social Work, The Development of an Interprofessional Pain Management Group Using Interviews with Key Informants

Fred Lee, Political Science, Extraordinary Racial Politics: Four Events in the Informal Constitution of the United States

Seok-woo Lee, Materials Science and Engineering, Superelasticity and Cryogenic Linear Shape Memory Effects of CaFe2As2

Kathryn Libal, School of Social Work, Citizen Mobilization and New Solidarities Opposing European and US Restrictionism

Margaret Lloyd, School of Social Work, Assessing CAPTA State Plans: A Policy Implementation Evaluation

James Magnuson, Psychological Sciences, Interaction in Spoken Word Recognition Models: Feedback Helps

Samuel Martínez, El Instituto, 2018 Eyzaguirre Lecture: Professor Fernando Rosenberg, Brandeis

Melissa McKinney, Natural Resources and the Environment, Validating a Commercially Available Canine Multiplex Cytokine Assay Kit to Measure and Quantify Polar Bear Cytokines

Stuart Miller, Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, From Temple to Home to Community: The Survival and Transformation of Ancient Jewish Life in the Wake of Destruction

Spencer Nyholm, Molecular and Cell Biology, Reproductive System Symbiotic Bacteria are Conserved between Two Distinct Populations of Euprymna scolopes from Oahu, Hawaii

Michael Orwicz, Art and Art History, Museums of Memory: Justice and Reconciliation in Post-Conflict Latin America

Linda Pescatello, Kinesiology, Using the Immediate Blood Pressure Benefits of Exercise to Improve Exercise Adherence: A Pilot Study (PULSE)

Daisy Reyes, Sociology, How Colleges Shape Latino Experiences Before and After Graduation

Lisa Werkmeister Rozas, School of Social Work, Stewarding the Social Work Profession in the Area of Diversity: The Role of Doctoral Education

Ilya Sochnikov, Physics, Conference: Entangled Orders and Quantum Criticality

Angela Starkweather, School of Nursing, An Exploratory Analysis of Circulating Endocannabinoid-related Lipidome Associated with the Transition from Acute to Chronic Low Back Pain

Scott Stephenson, Geography, Geography Colloquium Series

Steven Szczepanek, Pathobiology, Role of the AP-1 Transcription Factors in Long-term Immunity to Pneumococcal Vaccines

Judith Thorpe, Art and Art History, Like A Whisper, Limited Edition Portfolio, by the Hadrian’s Wall Working Group

Nathaniel Trumbull, Geography, Coastal Perspectives Lecture Series, Avery Point Campus

Miriam Valdovinos, School of Social Work, Health Effects Related to Intimate Partner Violence Impacting Undocumented Latina Immigrant Women

Ryan Watson, Human Development and Family Studies, LGBTQ+ Sexual Health: Foundational Investigations for Improving Health & Well-being of Vulnerable Populations

Back to SFF Awards

Scholarship Facilitation Fund Fall 2018

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) is pleased to announce the recipients of the Fall 2018 Scholarship Facilitation Fund (SFF) Awards. Funding support totaling $52,791.77 will be granted to 36 exciting faculty projects. An additional $7,950.00 in matching funds will be granted to support a number of research symposia / colloquia.

The SFF program offers crucial support to faculty research, scholarly activities, creative works, and interdisciplinary initiatives. These competitive awards provide up to $2000 to assist faculty in the initiation, completion, or advancement of these projects.

Additional information about the program, including the guidelines and application form, are available on the OVPR website. The deadline for the Spring 2019 awards is December 1, 2018. Note that this is a change from previous competitions to allow adequate time for application processing before awards are effective on January 1.

The Fall 2018 SFF awardees are:

Daniel Adler, Anthropology, Tracking the Earliest Dispersal of Humans from Africa at Haghtanak-3, an Early Pleistocene Archaeological Site in Northern Armenia

Jorge Aguero, Economics and El Instituto, Can Inclusive Education Programs Reduce Racial and Gender Discrimination in the Labor Market?

Emma Amador, History (and El Instituto), Contesting Colonial Citizenship

Mary Anne Amalaradjou, Animal Science, Early and sustained application of probiotics to improve growth and performance in chickens

Brian Aneskievich, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Publication of a Critical Evaluation of Current Literature, Emerging Trends, and Future Research Foci for the Anti-Inflammatory Protein TNIP1

Alfredo Angeles-Boza, Chemistry, Mechanistic Studies of N2 Binding and Activation

Alexander Anievas, Political Science, Legacies of Fascism: Race and the Far-Right in the Making of the Cold War

Saraswathi Bellur Thandaveshwara, Communication, Media Psychophysiology Lecture and Workshop

Pamela Brown, English, The Diva’s Gift: The Italian Actress and the Shakespearean Stage

Brenda Brueggemann, English, Posting Mabel: An Epistolary Biography of Mabel Hubbard Bell

Clewiston Challenger, Educational Psychology, Dr. Challenger’s Transition to College Program for Student-Athletes (CTCPSA)

Chi-Ming Chen, Psychological Sciences, Neuronal oscillations in dysfunctions of obsessive-compulsive disorders

Ashwin Dani, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Visual Tracking Using Sparse Coding and Earth Mover’s Distance

Debanuj DasGupta, Geography, Precarious Transgender Subject and Shrinking Urban Spaces in Kolkata

Ana Maria Diaz-Marcos, Literatures, Cultures and Languages, Stages of Crisis: Spanish Women Playwrights in the 21st Century

Maria Gordina, Mathematics, Workshop “Functional inequalities in probability”

Solomiya Ivakhiv, Music, Singles and Doubles: Haydns, Mendelssohn and Hummel Double Concertos

Walter Krawec, Computer Science & Engineering, Numerical Tools for Practical Limited-Resource Quantum Cryptography

Maria LaRusso, Human Development and Family Studies, Intervening with Behaviorally Challenging Students in Schools: A Pilot Study of Collaborative and Proactive Solutions

Glen Macleod, English, Wallace Stevens and Surrealism—Public Lecture as part of “UConn Celebrates Wallace Stevens in Hartford”

Philip Mannheim, Physics, Sabbatical Research at Stanford University

Samuel Martinez, El Instituto: Institute of Latina/o, Caribbean, and Latin American Studies, 2018 Mead Lecture: “Immigration in the Time of Trump”

Deborah McDonald, Nursing, The Analgesic Adverse Drug Response Measure: Development and Psychometric Testing

Matthew McKenzie, History, Breaking the Banks: Representation and Reality in New England Fisheries, 1866-1966.

Liansu Meng, Department of Literatures, Cultures & Languages, Man/Woman, Machine/Nature: Modern Chinese Poetry at the Intersection of Industrialism and Feminism (1915-1980)

Yonatan Morse, Political Science, Legislative Candidacy in Tough Environments: The Case of Cameroon

Nitis Mukhopadhyay, Statistics, Sabbatical Leave Fall 2018: Major Book Revision and Research Trips

Shayla Nunnally, Political Science, The Black Class Reunion Oral History Project

Kim Price-Glynn, Sociology, Contradictions of Caregiving: Negotiating Parenting, Child Care, and Labor

Sarah Reed, Animal Science, Alterations in insulin-like growth factor signaling in maternal and fetal placental tissues as a result of poor maternal nutrition

Barry Rosenberg, Art & Art History, Two International Centers for Contemporary Art: London and Paris

Marcus Rossberg, Philosophy and UConn Logic Group, Logic Group Colloquium

Susan Schneider, Philosophy, Designing the Mind: AI, Brain Enhancement, and the Nature of the Self

Matthew Singer, Political Science, PREPPS: The Political Representation, Parties and Presidents Survey

Christine Sylvester, Political Science, Commemorating War Defeat: Japan and Australia

Whitney Tabor, Psychology, Escape from Fraught States: Testing a Web-based Mechanism for the Study of Group Coordination

Brian Waddell, Political Science, Transcription of interview tapes

Lingling Wang, Finance, Textual Analysis on the Compensation Discussion and Analysis

Xiaodong Yan, Mathematics, Recent progress in multiscale nonlocal PDEs

Jing Zhao, Chemistry, Study of the electron transfer mechanism from colloidal quantum dots to molecular electron acceptors

Back to SFF Awards

OVPR Research Bridge Funding

OVPR Research Bridge Funding Match Program

The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) Research Bridge Funding Match Program, in partnership with departments and schools/colleges, provides short-term support to maintain critical elements of currently funded, productive research programs when they are faced with a gap in financial support, until pending funding is received.

Bridge funding can only be provided for established programs confronted with a funding gap. PIs seeking support for new projects are encouraged to apply to OVPR initiatives like the Scholarship Facilitation Fund and the Research Excellence Program. PIs seeking support for commercializing projects should apply for the SPARK Technology Commercialization Fund.

As a “match” program, OVPR bridge funds are intended to be the last piece of a funding plan that includes commitments from other sources, usually the PI’s IDC funds and support from departments, school/colleges, and centers/institutes totaling at least two-thirds of the total amount of the requested funding. The OVPR program will only consider funding requests for no more than one-third of the total amount needed by the PI. Please note that budget limits may restrict the OVPR’s ability to fund (or fully fund) every request received.

Eligibility/Guidelines

  • The OVPR Research Bridge Funding Match Program is open to faculty based at the Storrs/Regional Campuses. Faculty at UConn Health may apply to UCH Emergency Grant Program.
  • In order to be eligible for OVPR bridge funding, PIs must first secure the support of their department/center/institute and school/college.
  • As PI salary is excluded from this program, faculty who are dependent on grant support for their salary are not eligible to participate.
  • The project must contain elements that require maintenance in order for the program to continue once external funding is restored (e.g. the retention of key personnel such as postdocs and technicians and the maintenance of key resources such as animal care). Applications will not be considered for projects that do not contain such elements.
  • Bridge funding is typically limited to one year. If additional time is necessary, PIs must reapply at the end of the funding period.

Application Process

  • PIs who are exploring bridge funding must begin in the PI’s home department/institute/school/college. Please follow any processes established by your school/college for requesting bridge funding.
  • Once commitments for at least two-thirds of the requested budget have been secured, the PI can request that his/her dean seek the remaining funds from the OVPR.
  • OVPR bridge funding requests can only be initiated by the dean of the PI’s school/college. Requests submitted directly by PIs will not be considered.
  • Deans may send their request directly to Associate Vice President for Research Julie Schwager (schwager@uchc.edu).  Requests should identify the PI seeking funding, provide a justification for the request (e.g., overview of funding history, plan for securing external funding, and specific funding need during the bridge period), and should provide a basic breakdown of the funding commitments that have been secured.
  • Once the dean’s request has been received, the OVPR may reach out to the PI for additional materials.

Contact
If you have questions about the application process, the materials needed, or regarding a funded request, please contact Dr. Matt Mroz at research@uconn.edu or 860.486.6378.

START Preliminary Proof of Concept Fund

Overview

*Note: The START program held its final competition in May 2021.  No additional application cycles are anticipated*

Through a generous grant provided by the CT Next Higher Education Fund, the University of Connecticut (UConn) Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) is administering a new early stage translational research funding program called the START Preliminary Proof-Of-Concept (PPOC) Fund. Under the grant, funding will be made available to investigators at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), University of Bridgeport (UB) and UConn.

The program aims to support the preliminary validation of innovative early stage technologies that have possible commercial potential and is designed to bring those technologies to a stage that may be more attractive for additional later stage translational funding support. We invite proposals for the START PPOC Fund from across all disciplines for early stage projects that may one day result in inventions and technologies that address unmet needs and have potential for commercial application.

The START PPOC Fund competition will accept written proposals on a quarterly basis and selections for funding will be made solely on a review of the written proposals by a selection committee composed of representatives from CCSU, SCSU, UB and UConn.

Important Dates (note: all deadlines are at 12PM (noon) on the date indicated.

All applications should be uploaded to the UConn Quest Portal by the given deadlines.  Applications from CCSU, SCSU, and UB may be submitted through the START program point-of-contact for your university (CCSU - Rod Waterman; SCSU - Amy Taylor; UB - Sherri Dente).  Please allow adequate time for applications to be processed and uploaded by your point of contact before the deadline.

 

Cycle Submission Date Award Notice Project Start Date
Q1 Cancelled in FY21 --- ---
Q2 November 1 November 30 December 1
Q3 February 15 March 15 March 15
Q4 May 1 May 30  June 1

Award Details

  • The CT Next Higher Education Fund has committed funding for START PPOC Fund for up to three years, contingent upon continued success in achieving program milestones and objectives.
  • START project awards will be up to $10K.
  • Awards are intended to be for scopes-of-work that can be completed in one year or less.
  • No cost extensions are possible for START awards, but are typically only approved when extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the PI exist.

    Eligibility

    The START program is available to faculty members with a primary, full-time appointment to CCSU, SCSU, UB UConn/UConn Health, within the following parameters:

    • Projects should be translational in nature (i.e., cannot be basic research). Very early stage projects are eligible, but should nevertheless have an obvious downstream commercial application.
    • The project need not have a related issued or pending patent or a submitted invention disclosure at the time of proposal submission.
    • Each START project will be governed by the IP policies of the PI’s home university.  START funding may be contingent on applicants reaching an agreement with their university regarding IP rights and/or other investment terms prior to awards being finalized.
    • Generally speaking, UConn-based START projects should have University-owned IP (or the potential to develop IP that will be University-owned) at their core.  If a UConn-based project is based on IP not assignable to the University, it can be eligible for START funding only if it has not already received funding from any source for commercialization activities.
    • Projects that have been previously funded by START may be eligible for one additional award. To be eligible:
      • PIs must submit a final report on the first START award before applying for a new award. This report will be reviewed by the selection committee before considering any new application.
      • The new START application must propose a new scope of work. The same set of activities will not be funded twice
      • PIs must submit a new, full application and compete for additional funding alongside new applicants. START awards will not be automatically renewed.
    • Faculty members that wish to apply for START funding will need to secure all necessary approvals for commitment of effort, use of recombinant DNA, use of animals, use of human subjects, etc., as required by their respective institutional policies and guidelines and any relevant local, state or federal regulations. All necessary protocols will need to be in place before funds are released.

    Budget Guidelines

    START Budget Guidelines

    • Allowable costs: graduate student stipends/summer support, postdoc salaries, other research assistant salaries, associated fringe costs, instrument use fees, materials and supplies, contractual services (external consultants or fee-for-service providers). Other commercialization-related costs not specified here or in the not-allowed list below should be listed in the budget and justified.
    • Not-allowable costs: faculty salary, large equipment acquisition costs, travel for the purpose of presenting research results, costs related to basic research aims, graduate tuition, any overhead or F&A.
    • Any changes to the budget of an awarded project must be approved in advance by the START program director. Requests for re-budgeting can be made to research@uconn.edu.
      Note: All contractual services and materials and supplies must be procured following the awardee’s respective university purchasing policies.

    Proposal Details

    Elements to include in the START proposal are included below. Applications exceeding the total page limit of 6 pages (1" margins, 11-12 pt font) will be returned without review. Proposals documents should be uploaded to the UConn Quest Portal in PDF format.

    • Applicant Information Form (basic information about the PI) - Available on Quest
      • Information needed: Name, Department, School/College, email, phone, academic rank, primary employer, grant funding status
    • START Application Form (information about the project and team, including a 1 page abstract/summary of the project) - Available on Quest
      • Information needed: Title, amount requested, Abstract/Lay Summary, Key words, Team Members and roles
    • Project Plan (Single PDF)
      • Proposal Narrative (2 pages)
        • Description and background of the potential innovation:
        • What problem or unmet need does the potential innovation target?
        • Are there any currently available products/technologies that target the same problem or unmet need?
        • If so, why is the proposed innovation is different from or better than those that are already available?
        • What is the current market size for the potential innovation?
        • What Technology Readiness Level (TRL) most closely describes the current stage of your innovation?
          • TRL2 Concept defined and/or application formulated, analytical tools developed (applied research)
          • TRL3 Experimental data demonstrates critical function (proof of concept)
          • TRL4 Invention validated in laboratory environment (feasibility)
          • TRL5 Invention validated in relevant environment (development)
          • TRL6 Pilot-scale prototypical system validated in relevant environment (tech demonstration)
          • TRL7 Full-scale system demonstrated in relevant environment (system demonstration)
        • Preliminary evidence: Summarize any preliminary data available.
        • Proposed experiments with project goals:
          • What are your project goals and your experimental approaches to achieve those goals?
          • How will achievement of your project goals help make the potential innovation more attractive for additional funding?
          • Could the experiments, if successful, yield patentable intellectual property?
      • Intellectual property (IP): Describe your IP position, realized or planned, and the competitive IP landscape. (1 page)
      • Collaborators: Provide the names of other investigators with whom you plan to collaborate, if any. Identify any industry partners you have already approached and their response to your outreach. (1/2 page)
      • Relevant publications: List up to six key publications written by you or others about the proposed product/technology. (1/2 page)
    • Budget: Provide a preliminary budget estimate and proposed use of funds using the Start_Budget_Template on the START website. To give reviewers a complete picture of project feasibility, we also ask that any other sources of funding that may be used to further the aims of your START project be identified and the uses of these funds described. (single PDF)
    • Appendices: Optional upload of other supporting documents (previous reviews, references, letters of support etc)

    Review Criteria

    Proposals will be scored based on the following criteria:Market Need Addressed

    • Would the potential innovation satisfy an unmet consumer, industrial or medical need?
    • Is there a clear market need identified in the proposal?
    • How much additional research and funding would be necessary to bring the potential innovation to the market?

    Innovation and Novelty

    • Is the potential innovation novel?
    • Would the potential innovation solve the unmet need differently (e.g., better, faster, cheaper) than the current state-of-the art?
    • Would the potential innovation be a disruptive technology or an incremental improvement over the current state-of-the art?

    Funding and Commercialization Potential

    • Will the proposed experiments help make the potential innovation more attractive for follow-on translational research funding?
    • Will the proposed experiments provide enough data/results to move the potential innovation toward patentability and/or commercial opportunities?
    • While still early stage, are there any obvious potential licensees?

    Scientific Merit and Feasibility

    • Is the experimental design technically sound?
    • Does the investigator/team have appropriate expertise and facilities?
    • Can the proposed experiments be completed in one year?

    Postaward Reporting

    Reporting requirements

    • Final Reports: START awardees agree to provide a final report detailing project results, progress toward the project goals, any resulting manuscripts or publications and whether any intellectual property was generated, including whether an invention disclosure was filed with awardee’s university. Final reports are due within 30 days after the award period ends.
    • Follow-up Reports: Recognizing that projects funded by START are early stage and will likely take some time to realize their commercial potential, we will be contacting recipients of START funding at the start of the fiscal year following the completion of each recipient’s award period to learn about the continued results of your project, the significance of those results, and to gather statistics about students supported, publications, additional grants received, intellectual property generated, other projects launched, commercialization activities, etc. This will allow us to better understand the impact of START PPOC funding and make the case for its continued funding beyond the initial three year period granted by CT Next.

    Program Contacts

    START PPOC Fund Contacts

    The START PPOC Fund is jointly administered by UConn OVPR Technology Commercialization Services and UConn Internal Funding Program.

    Program point of contact
    Dr. Matt Mroz
    Internal Funding Coordinator
    research@uconn.edu
    860.486.6378

    Program Director
    Dr. Greg Gallo
    Director, Technology Transfer
    OVPR Technology Commercialization Services