Research NewsletterIssue: ORN-2023-09

Blueprint MedTech

Do you have a groundbreaking technology that can prevent, diagnose, or treat disorders of the nervous system?

CIMIT’s CINTA and NeuroTech Harbor, through the NIH Blueprint MedTech program, have started accepting pre-proposals from academic and industry applicants who have emerging technologies that aim to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and/or treatment of disorders involving the nervous system or consequences of such diseases or injuries.

Awards up to $500K will be made available to the most promising and innovative neurotechnologies to help accelerate their development toward commercialization. Pre-proposals are due no later than March 16th, 2023.

Innovators developing groundbreaking medical device technologies face a number of challenges along the translational path from bench to bedside. The Blueprint MedTech program is an NIH incubator that aims to address such challenges and support the innovators by accelerating the development of cutting-edge medical devices to diagnose and/or treat disorders of the nervous system. The mission of the program is to catalyze the translation of novel technologies from early-stage development to readiness for first-in-human clinical studies. The program will provide: (a) non-dilutive funds to support medical device development activities led by investigators, and (b) additional resources and support services including, but not limited to:

• Planning resources to support concept development, team building, needs assessment, and other early translational activities.
• Streamlined access to translational services and expertise (e.g., design and prototyping, bench testing, large animal testing, biocompatibility assessment, manufacturing, medical monitoring).
• Assistance from consultants (e.g., on regulatory, reimbursement, intellectual property, commercialization, and strategic partnership issues).
• Advice from industry experts (e.g., meetings with an external oversight committee).

The overarching goal of the Blueprint MedTech program is to accelerate patient access to groundbreaking, safe, and effective medical devices. The program will provide support to sufficiently develop and de-risk technologies to the point where additional investments are warranted from industry partners, investors, and government.

The Blueprint MedTech Program is structured in two main components: 1) Blueprint MedTech Incubator, and 2) Blueprint MedTech Translator

NSF: Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE): Core Programs; Partnerships for Research Innovation in the Mathematical Sciences (PRIMES); Accelerating Research Translation (ART); Global Centers (GC); Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems (POSE)

NIH: IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) (P20); Using Multimodal Biomarkers to Differentially Diagnose ADRDs for Clinical Trials (U19); Collaborative Program Grant for Multidisciplinary Teams (RM1); NIMHD Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (R21)

Department of Defense/US Army/DARPA/ONR: FY24 Multidisciplinary Research Program of the University Research Initiative (MURI); FY24 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP); NDEP STEM Open NFO

Department of Energy: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Carbon Capture Large-Scale Pilot Projects;  Increasing Utilization and Reliability of Electric Infrastructure with Grid-enhancing technologies (GETs); Unlocking Lasting Transformative Resiliency Advances by Faster Actuation of Power Semiconductor Technologies (ULTRAFAST)

Energy Provides $48M Toward Electric Grid Modernization Projects: The Energy Department this week announced $48 million in funding toward a new program that will improve the reliability, security and resiliency of the national power grid. The program—called Unlocking Lasting Transformative Resiliency Advances by Faster Actuation of Power Semiconductor Technologies, or ULTRAFAST—will “support the development of faster, more capable power electronics for enhanced resiliency, reliability and control of power flow,” according to the Energy Department. The program will be managed by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, or ARPA-E, which strategically promotes and invests in the development of advanced energy technologies. More information is posted on the NextGov website.

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Commerce Head Says U.S. Must Double Semiconductor Workforce in Next Decade: Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo stated the U.S. must expand its semiconductor workforce to meet its leadership, innovation, national security and economic goals as the government implements the CHIPS and Science Act. During a Thursday speech, Raimondo stressed the importance of semiconductors because of their ubiquity in everyday items like cars and pacemakers, as well as their foundational role in advanced technology like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cloud and big data. She noted that while the U.S. used to produce 37% of semiconductors in 1990, today that number is just 12%. The U.S. relies on one Taiwanese company for 92% of the country’s most sophisticated chips—something Raimondo called “unsustainable.” She asserted that the country is at an inflection point because of global competition, where the U.S. must “come together to drive technological progress on an unprecedented scale and, in so doing, ensure our global leadership.” 

As part of the CHIPS and Science Act, the government is providing $39 billion in manufacturing incentives and $11 billion towards research and development. Raimondo noted that the Commerce Department will release its first funding opportunity for manufacturing facilities next Tuesday. She stated that international companies are welcome to apply as long as they’re building manufacturing facilities in the United States. Raimondo added that in the coming months additional funding applications will be available for semiconductor supply chain and research and development. Raimondo asserted that the taxpayer funding is designed to spur further investment from the private sector.  For example, Intel has invested $43.5 billion at its sites in Arizona, New Mexico and Ohio to expand U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturing. More information is posted on the NextGov website.

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U.S. Furthers Quantum Research with New International Partnership: The U.S. and the Netherlands announced their new joint endeavor in quantum information sciences and technologies research and development on Thursday, continuing the U.S.’s international innovation work in QIS. Nations all over the world are allocating more resources to fund quantum technologies, especially in the burgeoning fields of quantum computing and quantum sensing, before the advent of a functioning quantum computer capable of disrupting classical computing networks.  “The United States of America and the Netherlands intend to harness the spirit of science, technology and innovation to pursue cooperation and the mutual respect it confers, and to promote QIST, including but not limited to quantum computing, quantum networking and quantum sensing, which underpins the development of society and industry,” the State Department said. More information is posted on the NextGov website.

Question:       Can I change project start and end dates after I have submitted for approval?

Answer:         When a proposal is routed for approval certain information is locked to ensure that the information at the various approval levels (department, college, and university) remains constant.  This is intended to guarantee that the authority of academic leadership (e.g., chairs and deans) is recognized in the system.

The start and end dates are included in the data that is locked.  If you need to change the dates of a proposal already submitted for approval, you will have to recall the proposal, make the necessary changes, and resubmit for approval.

More FAQs on Streamlyne: Please visit http://www.njit.edu/research/streamlyne/