Innovation Funding
Dear Faculty Relations: My research group is doing really interesting and innovative work at CU. I want us to take our discoveries to help people in need. Any ideas about funding? —Seeking Funding
Dear Seeking: Yes, your ideas and innovations do make you eligible to apply for special types of funding! If you have a big idea that could become a solution to a real-world problem—what is sometimes called “translational” research or creative work—there are some specific translational funding opportunities available like:
- CU Boulder has its own dedicated, internal grant program called the Lab Venture Challenge. It runs annually and provides awards of up to $125,000 to translational proposals in science and engineering.
- New this year: Faculty in the humanities, arts and social sciences can apply for internal funding for innovations with real-world potential through a new grant program through Venture Partners.
- Federal funding opportunities include NSF’s Translation to Practice, the DOE’s ARPA-E, and ARPA-H. The Center for Translational Research can help you navigate these and other translational funding opportunities and craft compelling proposals.
- Companies often look to universities for innovation support, and fund projects that address the companies’ commercial challenges. The new Industry Research Partnerships team can help you learn about these opportunities for sponsored research.
Some faculty—like Greg Rieker of LongPath Technologies or Sara Sawyer of Darwin Biosciences—create their own startup companies to translate their research, invention or creative work, and that brings additional funding opportunities through the SBIR and STTR programs that are offered by multiple federal agencies, as well as investment opportunities. Faculty startup companies typically utilize this funding to conduct their R&D at the university, through sponsored projects.
A great place to start is with Venture Partners. Our team is here to support researchers, inventors and creators like you to find market pathways to real-world impact with your work. Once you disclose your innovation, we provide a case manager to help you every step along the way.
Written by Bryn Rees, Senior Associate Vice Chancellor, Innovation & Partnerships