The QuTech program is available to UConn/UConn Health faculty members, within the following parameters:

• IP: Projects should have intellectual property at their core. To be eligible, project-related UConn IP must exist and a UConn invention disclosure must be filed prior to applying.  Projects based on IP not developed at UConn are not eligible.
• Startups and License Options: If a startup related to the QuTech project exists at the time of award, an option agreement must be taken within 6 months of the award.  If a startup company related to the project is formed at any point in the future, an option agreement must be taken within six months of the startup creation.
• Effort and Salary:
  • The award does not pay for any PI salary or for time spent on the project
  • Although no minimum effort level is required for QuTech projects, a PI/Co-PI must have institutionally-funded research time available during the award period to lead and complete the project.
  • Research Professors / those whose positions are contingent on grant-funding (soft money positions) must include details about their institutionally-funded research time as part of the budget justification to confirm eligibility.
• UConn Primary Appointment:
  • PIs must be faculty or staff whose primary appointment is at UConn/UConn Health. Awards are available to tenure-track, tenured, Clinical, Research, and in-Residence faculty with Assistant Professor rank or higher.
  • Researchers with primary appointments to CCMC, Jackson Labs, or TIP or other startup companies are not eligible to apply.
  • Individuals who are not eligible to apply as a PI may be able to serve as a collaborator/consultant on an eligible PI’s project.
• Number of submissions: Eligible faculty may only submit one proposal as lead PI. Investigators may serve as collaborator on multiple projects.

Elements to include in the full application are as follows:

1. A one-paragraph abstract (type or copy/paste into a form on Quest).
2. Project plan document three page maximum, 11-pt font and 1” margins), including
   1. Problem/Unmet need: Describe the problem or unmet need that the innovation will address.
   2. Description of the innovation: Describe the innovation or technology concept.
   3. Estimate Market Size:
      1. Which industries are likely to adopt the technology? Why is this technology important for these industries?
      2. Please describe the total available market this technology addresses (TAM) and how much of the TAM this technology will address.
   4. Competing Products:
      1. Identify any currently available products/technologies and explain why they do not adequately satisfy the problem or unmet need.
      2. Explain how the proposed innovation is different from or better than those that are already available.
   5. Intellectual property (IP): Describe your IP position, and the competitive IP landscape. List your current patent applications or patents pending as well as any granted patents related to this project. If you currently have no patent applications, please mention plans for future invention disclosures.
   6. Commercialization Plan:
      1. Explain how the proposed de-risking activities will allow you to achieve the major milestones required to further develop the technology for market entry.
      2. Describe your plans for funding development of this technology beyond the QuTech grant (through SBIR/STTR, Angel and VC funding, etc).
   7. Preliminary evidence: Summarize any preliminary data available that substantiates the proposed innovation usefulness for the applications envisioned.
   8. Proposed work with project milestones: Outline the proposed scope of work approaches with timelines and a clearly defined set of objective milestones to be completed by the end of the initial award period.  Please include an analysis of how the proposed activities will sufficiently de-risk the innovation to allow for further commercial development.
3. Biosketches/CVs: Please include brief biosketches/CVs (formatted as appropriate for your field) for all PIs/Co-PIs (No more than 3 pages).  Include your most recent publications or those most relevant to the work proposed.  Also include current/pending support from external sponsors and UConn sources (including start-up funding).  Biosketches/CVs may be uploaded as one PDF or as separate PDF documents.
4. Budget: Provide a preliminary budget estimate and proposed use of funds. Please see Internal Funding Budget Guidelines for instructions and a budget template.
5. The budget spreadsheet should be converted to PDF format prior to upload.

Proposals will be scored based on the following criteria:

Market Need—does the innovation address an unmet need and is there evidence that there is a market for the proposed solution?

• Does the applicant make a strong case that there is a need/problem that needs to be met?
• Is the science/technology strong enough to evidence its success
• Does the proposal include data about how much of the market the technology may realistically capture?

Innovation and Novelty—Is the innovation novel and/or does it make a significant improvement over currently-available solutions?

• Does the proposal make a convincing argument that the innovation is novel and or makes a significant improvement over currently-available solutions?
• Is there existing or the potential for intellectual property protection?
• To what degree does the innovation solve the unmet need differently (e.g., better, faster, cheaper) than the current state-of-the art?
• If novel, is the innovation a disruptive technology, a platform technology, or an incremental improvement over the current state-of-the art?

Commercialization Plan—Is there a realistic path for commercializing the innovation?

• Does the proposal present a path to bring the innovation forward to market?
• Does the proposal present plans for future financing of the project, such as SBIR/STTR or industry investment?
• For future development, will this technology require regulatory approval?  If so, does the proposal address plans for successfully navigating the process?
• Does the applicant point to any obvious potential licenses / commercial partners for this innovation?

Approach and Feasibility—Are the activities proposed attainable in the proposed timeline and are they consistent with the high scientific/scholarly standards?

• Does the investigator/team have appropriate expertise and laboratory facilities available to conduct the work?
• Does the project include the involvement of a UConn core facility or a third party be required to complete the work (e.g prototype development)?  If so, have appropriate commitments been obtained?
• To what degree will the activities proposed de-risk and advance the development of the innovation?