Manning/IALS Innovation Grants
2023 Manning/IALS Innovation Grants
Letters of Intent due April 24th for $100,000 Seed Grants
About Manning/IALS Innovation Program & Previous Award Winners
Call for Letters of Intent (LOI)
The Institute for Applied Life Sciences invites submissions for the 2023 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.
Scope and Eligibility
Eligibility: The PI must be a UMass Amherst faculty member to submit an LOI. Faculty invited to submit full applications will be asked to join the Institute for Applied Life Sciences (if not already a member). Applicant team members may include co-founders/leadership teams of a UMass startup venture. Attendance at a 2023 Manning/IALS Seed Grants information session is a prerequisite to submit a letter of intent (more information and registration information below).
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
Funding: Up to $100,000 of funding based on milestones with no indirect costs. Manning/IALS Seed Grants should be expended within 12 months.
Information Sessions & More Information
We will be holding four information sessions for the Manning/IALS Seed Grants. Attendance by lead faculty PIs is mandatory at one of the four sessions as a prerequisite to submit a letter of intent. (Prior year attendance does not replace this year's sessions.) Affiliated graduate students, business mentors, and/or startup co-founders are welcome to attend with the PI. Registration is required. Registration information is below.
Registration for Information Sessions:
- Wednesday, April 5, 2023 @ 11 a.m. - Information Session 1
- Wednesday, April 5, 2023 @ 3 p.m. - Information Session 2
- Tuesday, April 11, 2023 @ 10 a.m. - Information Session 3
- Tuesday, April 11, 2023 @ 2 p.m. - Information Session 4
After attending the information sessions, if you have additional specific questions regarding your application, please make an appointment during Manning/IALS Office Hours.
Grant Terms & Conditions: Please review the full terms and conditions for this award.
Letters of Intent (LOI) are due Monday, April 24th at 8 a.m.
Only Letters of Intent from PIs who attended an information session will be considered. LOIs will be reviewed administratively for compliance and fit with the objectives of this program. Submit LOIs online through the Manning/IALS Kuali Build form, available April 4th.
Fill out a short LOI application form (available April 4, 2023). Deadline to submit applications is April 24, 2023 @ 8 a.m.
- The short LOI form will ask you to add a departmental business manager. Your business manager will receive a notification that they have been added as a contact.
- Brief Description of Unmet Real-world Needs to Be Addressed and Why Current Solutions Fall Short. (up to 200 words)
- Brief Description of Project Objectives and Milestones to Be Reached by the End of the Funding Period. (up to 200 words)
- List and briefly describe Invention Disclosures submitted, Provisional Patent Applications, Non-Provisional Patent Applications, and/or Issued Patents Related to this Project. If there are no such documents, briefly describe any discussions you have had with the Technology Transfer Office staff. (up to 200 words)
- Specify Extramural Funding or Follow-on Investment Targets and Submission Dates. (up to 100 words)
- Once submitted, you will receive a confirmation email of submission.
Once review of LOIs have been completed, you will receive an email notification. We expect to complete reviews of LOIs on or before May 10, 2023. Instructions on how to submit full proposal applications will be provided in the invitation to submit full proposal. If you have specific questions regarding your LOI submission, please make an appointment during Manning/IALS Office Hours.
Any questions regarding application submission, please contact Janet Glick at manning-ials@umass.edu.
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.
