Manning/IALS Innovation Awards

 
 

2024 Manning/IALS Innovation Awards

 


About Manning/IALS Innovation Program & Previous Award Winners

The Institute for Applied Life Sciences offers Manning/IALS Seed Grants of up to $100,000 for translational R&D. These grants are part of the Manning/IALS Innovation Program, which is designed to help advance UMass Amherst translational and applied R&D through the development of startup companies or the out-licensing of UMass IP.  

UMass faculty are welcome to join IALS at any time by submitting an IALS membership form found on the IALS website: https://www.umass.edu/ials/joining-ials


2023 Seed Grant Award Winners
(Recipients will be designated Manning/IALS Innovation Fellows)

Ernest Pharmaceuticals Neil Forbes
Chemical engineering, College of Engineering
Programmed Bacteria to Destroy Cancer 

Latde Sloan Siegrist
Microbiology, College of Natural Sciences
Accessible, Rapid Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing Using Lateral Flow Detection of Metabolic Labeling

Organicin Scientific  Margaret Riley
Biology, College of Natural Sciences
Fermentation-Based Production of Kilogram Quantities of Bacteriocins for Field Trial Testing

SkyRayBioMin Chen
Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences
Development of a Nanopore Platform for Selective Screening of Allosteric Inhibitors Against Protein Kinases

TBD Medical  Govind Srimathveeravilli
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering
Device and Technology for Prostate Biopsy

The Skouta Lab (Newco/Licensing) Rachid Skouta
Biology and Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences
Novel Ferroptosis Inducer Drug Candidate to Target RAS-Positive Tumors


Post-Award Requirements

  • Funded Projects for this year’s cycle are expected to begin in October 2023.  Funds will be made available to awarded project PIs, with the expectation that funds will be expended by October 2024.
  • Engagement in venture development efforts:  Funded projects will be expected to take advantage of venture development and other resources in support of commercialization plans, for example: Business Innovation Fellows teams, I-Corps @ UMass, office hours and workshops.
  • Progress Updates:  Funded projects are expected to present quarterly updates in writing and through meetings with the Manning IALS team. 
  • No-cost Extension:  Projects may apply for one no-cost extension of up to six months beyond the initial 12-month project period.  Written requests with justifications (template will be provided) must be submitted by no later than August 31, 2024.

Grant Terms & Conditions:  Please review the full terms and conditions for this award. 


Sponsors

Significant funding for this opportunity comes from a gift by the Manning Family Foundation and from the Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS) Seed Fund Program. Recipients of Manning funds will be designated Manning/IALS Innovation Fellows.

Administration of the Manning/IALS Innovation Awards is managed through IALS with oversight from the IALS Executive Committee - Deans of College of Natural Sciences, College of Engineering, School of Public Health & Health Sciences, Elaine Marieb College of Nursing, Manning College of Information & Computer Sciences, the Vice Chancellor of Research and Engagement, and the Provost.  Contact us at manning-ials@umass.edu.