ORN-2025-37
NJIT Research Newsletter includes recent awards, and announcements of research related seminars, webinars, national and federal research news related to research funding, and Grant Opportunity Alerts (with links to sections). The Newsletter is posted on the NJIT Research Website https://research.njit.edu/funding-opportunities.
Special Announcements
Pre-Announcement “Advancing Biodefense Readiness: On-Demand Biologics, Automated Threat Detection, and Alternative MCM Testing in High Containment”
The Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC), in support of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), is excited to post this pre-announcement for an upcoming Request for Project Proposals (RPP) focused on advancing three medical and bioengineering technologies. The intent of the upcoming RPP is for interested Offerors to respond to only one of the following Focus Areas; however, it is permissible for an Offeror to submit a separate white paper in response to one or more of the focus areas:
- FOCUS AREA #1: Biologics On Demand: This focus area (which is further detailed below) aims to advance the state-of-the-art for producing biologics on-demand and near point-of-need.
- FOCUS AREA #2: Automated Clinical and/or Environmental Sampling, Sequencing, and Analysis: This focus area (which is further detailed below) aims to advance the development of an integrated, automated system capable of detecting and identifying biological threats in environmental samples.
- FOCUS AREA #3: Alternative Methods for Testing MCMs in High Containment: This focus area (which is further detailed below) aims to advance alternative models, such as organ-on-a-chip (OoC) and organoid systems, for evaluating MCMs against viral biothreats. Solutions will validate mature alternative model platforms that model human infection and therapeutic response, with a focus on aerosol exposure and oral delivery methods.
For information on the eligibility criterion and submission process at MTEC website here. If interested in submitting a proposal, please contact Shawn Chester, Associate Vice Provost for Research Collaborations and Partnerships at shawn.chester@njit.edu as soon as possible but no later than September 22, 2025.
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NJDEP 2025 PFAS Summit
October 9-10, 2025; NJIT Campus Ballroom
Join us for two days of in-depth discussion, collaboration, and innovation focused on PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances)—examining their impact, exploring solutions, and advancing efforts to protect public health and the environment. This important event is hosted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) in partnership with the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and other key collaborators, bringing together leading voices from science, policy, industry, and the community. We’re excited to have you with us as we work together toward a cleaner, safer future. The cost to attend this Summit is $75, and includes meals for both days. Please pay via e-check or credit card. Please see agenda here.
Seats are limited, please register here as soon as possible.
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Call For Proposals
NJIT Center for Translational Research (CTR)
Funded by the U.S. NSF Accelerating Research Translation (ART) Program
2025 Innovation Pitch Competition
Prize: $100,000 TITA-Advanced Seed Grant
and
2026 Technology Innovation Translation and Acceleration (TITA) Seed Grant
Up to four $75,000 TITA Seed Grants
2026 Available TITA Seed Grant Program Funding: $400,000
TITA External Advisory Board (EAB)
Click here for Additional Information and Sample Pitch Presentations
NJIT Center for Translational Research (CTR) and Technology Innovation Translation Acceleration (TITA) Seed Grant Program
The NJIT Center for Translational Research (CTR) funded by U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Accelerating Research Translation (ART) program of the Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP) directorate and institutional strategic investment plan serves as a hub to promote and facilitate translational research through workshops, training and networking opportunities that help students, faculty and other stakeholders develop innovation partnerships for technology validation and commercialization.
The NJIT Technology Innovation Translation Acceleration (TITA) Seed Grant program continues to increase awareness of the potential commercial benefits at earlier stages of the translation and market validation process and allow researchers and stakeholders to collaborate for entrepreneurial success. It helps faculty innovators to submit competitive translational research proposals to external grant funding opportunities.
Two Funding Opportunities Competitions
There are two paths for seed grant funding opportunities available this year to support technology innovation translation projects.
1. Advanced TITA (Technology Innovation Translation Acceleration) Seed Grants with $100,000 Innovation Pitch Competition Award: This is a direct path to innovation pitch competition for those who are already at TRL - 4 or above and have a start-up or tech transfer agreement. This path is open to all previous TITA/CERT seed grant awardees.
Application process: Submit 5-page white paper following the required format (please see below for details). After the review by the TITA External Advisory Board, top 5 applicants will be invited to compete for $100,000 TITA-Advance Grant.
2. Regular TITA Seed Grants of $75,000 per Project: The usual path of the TITA seed grant of $75,000 each with an external partner.
Application process: The applicants should follow a multi-stage submission following the format instructions and review process as outlined below – Stage -1: 2-page Concept Paper, Stage -2: 5-Page White Paper, Stage -3: Full Proposal and Stage -4: Live Pitch Presentation. The path does not require a start-up or tech transfer agreement at the time of proposal submission.
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Recent NJIT Provisional Patent Applications (Filed)
Patent Title: BIOREACTOR SYSTEM WITH MULTIPLE VOCAL FOLD REPLICAS
NJIT Ref No.: 25-015
Inventor(s): Miri, Amir / Donyaparastlivari, Leila
Patent Application Status: Filed Provisional Patent Application
Patent Application Filing Date: 9/10/2025
Application Filing No.: 63/879,036
Technology Licensing Status: Available
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Recent NJIT PCT Patent Applications (Filed)
Patent Title: SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF EMERGING CONTAMINANTS
NJIT Ref No.: 24-035
Inventor(s): Meegoda, Jay
Patent Application Status: Filed PCT Patent Application
Patent Application Filing Date: 9/11/2025
Application Filing No.: PCT/US25/45934
Technology Licensing Status: Available
Grant Opportunity Alerts
NSF: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP); Foundations for Operating the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource: the NAIRR Operations Center (NAIRR-OC)
NIH: Forecast: Shared Instrumentation Grant (SIG) Program (S10); Forecast: Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) (R01); Forecast: Science Track Award for Research Transition (START) Program; NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience: Coordination Center for Interoception Research (BPCCIR) (U24)
Department of Defense/US Army/DARPA/ONR: US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Broad Agency Announcement
Department of Labor: New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development Pre-Apprenticeship in Career Education (PACE) Grant Program (Round 1 Funding)
Department of Energy: Magnetic Acceleration Generating New Innovations and Tactical Outcomes (MAGNITO)
Recent Research Grant and Contract Awards
In the News
Cruz unveils new AI framework as blueprint for future legislation: Ensuring American artificial intelligence tools become the global operating standard is the central mission of Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz's new AI Legislative Framework, released on Wednesday alongside his long-awaited SANDBOX ACT. The AI sandbox bill, which would create a federal AI testing setup within the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, serves as part of the first pillar of Cruz’s new strategy that proposes a broad plan for Congressional legislative priorities surrounding AI. The strategy is centered around five pillars: unleashing American innovation and long-term growth; protecting free speech in the AI age; preventing a patchwork of burdensome AI regulation; stopping nefarious use of AI against Americans; and defending human value and dignity.
Within each of these pillars, the strategy also lays out specific action items, such as creating the federal AI regulatory sandbox, protecting Americans against digital scams and fraud, reinvigorating bioethical considerations in federal policy and clarifying federal standards to prevent burdensome state AI regulations. Together, these inform the light-touch AI regulation that Cruz and the Trump administration have supported across the federal policy landscape and seeks to keep industry partners at the center of major regulatory decisions. More information is posted on the NextGov website.
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Pentagon sets start date for CMMC implementation: Circle Nov. 10 as when the Defense Department’s new cyber and supply chain security standard for the entire industrial base starts to be implemented, almost six years after Pentagon leadership began talking about it. The final rule for the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification 2.0 standard went into effect in December 2024, while the next step to implement the program into contracts started Tuesday with a regulation released for public inspection. Also called the 48 CFR rule, its publication amends the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement that governs all Pentagon contracts. Industry now has two months’ notice before CMMC 2.0 begins to appear in DOD solicitations.
CMMC 2.0 is the Pentagon’s new set of requirements for companies that house controlled unclassified information or federal contract information in their systems. Companies have up to three levels of compliance they can be certified under, depending on how sensitive the information is.
DOD plans to roll out the program in a four-phase process over the next three years. In the first phase starting Nov. 10, solicitations will require self-assessments at certification Levels 1 and 2 where applicable. Some Level 2 certifications will require a verification check done by a certified third-party assessor organization if the data is considered more sensitive. Any and all Level 3 applicants will require certification from the Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Assessment Center. More information is posted on the NextGov website.
Webinars and Events
Research Grant Opportunities:
National Science Foundation
National Institutes of Health
Department of Defense
Department of Labor
Department of Energy
Proposal Submission and Streamlyne Information
The NJIT Proposal Submission Guidelines and Policy provides the expected institutional timeline for proposal submission. Streamlyne User Manuals are posted on https://research.njit.edu/streamlyne. For contact information on proposal submission, pre-award services and post-award grant management, please visit research website https://research.njit.edu/researchers and https://research.njit.edu/contact.