Neuroscience:Translate | Application and Eligibility

Applications for the 2025 Neuroscience:Translate grant program are open from Friday, September 20, 2024 until Monday, November 11, 2024 at 11:59 PM.

Please read through the entire application and eligibility criteria before beginning your application.

Stanford | Seed Funding Application Portal

Eligibility, Selection, and Award Timeline

Eligibility Criteria

Each proposal must have at least two co-principal investigators from two different fields both of whom must be members of the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute. Not a member yet? Become a faculty affiliate

• At least two fields should be represented. At least one faculty must be a clinician. Clinician is broadly defined to include faculty who work with human users, they don’t have to be humans with disease. The other faculty members may be from engineering, sciences or any other discipline.
• All co-principal investigators must be Stanford faculty with UTL, MCL, CE, or NTL appointments.
• Other team members (grad students, postdocs, research staff, etc.) may be included.
• Intellectual property of core technology must be owned by Stanford (not under an option or license to any entity).

Selection Criteria

The research must relate directly to applications in neuroscience or brain health, broadly defined. The objectives of the project should include an outcome that will benefit patients or other users of the technology. Evaluation of proposals by the Oversight Committee will be on the basis of:

• Innovation and scientific merit
• Potential impact
• Technical feasibility
• Quality of the diversity statement
• Potential for translation

Duration

Award timeframe is for a one-year period and teams may submit for renewal the following year. 

Application Review

For translational grant programs, successful project applications typically have established proof of concept for their innovation. We strongly encourage applicants to discuss their proposal with Gordon Saul (gsaul@stanford.edu), the N:T Award Program Director, and Linda Lucian (llucian@stanford.edu), the N:T Award Program Manager, prior to submission. For scheduling with Gordon, please contact Lauren Brown (lbrown36@stanford.edu).

The Oversight Committee will review applications in November/December. Applicants progressing to the finalist round will be invited to present to the Oversight Committee in early December (specific date/time TBD). The committee will review finalist presentations and make recommendations on funding priority, with funding to begin on February 1, 2025. Note that release of funds is dependent on IRB or APLAC approval as appropriate. The IRB or APLAC approval process must be initiated, and preferably finalized, during the selection period in order to avoid delays should your proposal be selected for an award. The award end date will not be extended due to delayed approvals.

Neuroscience:Translate Oversight Committee

Application Submission and Proposal Guidelines

The proposal should contain the following components: 

• Cover page
• Body (>5 pages)
• Diversity statement
• Proposed budget
• Biosketches and list of team members
• Relevant references.

Submit proposal as a PDF with the following naming convention: Last name PI_Last name PI_2025_WuTsaiNeuro

Cover page

Project title, names and contact information of the co-principal investigators, team members, administrative/finance contacts, funding amount requested, relevant APLAC or IRB approval number, relevant OTL docket number, assigned OTL licensing associate, and a one-paragraph summary of the project.

Body of proposal

Summary of the base technology, importance of the solution (clinical or user need), description of the product or service to be developed and a translational plan of the milestones, timing, and cost to bring the product or service to market (further details below) is needed.

Formatting

The body of the grant proposal should not exceed 5 pages (>0.75” margins, at least 11 pt font). This page limit does not include the following: cover page, funding and pending proposal list, brief biosketch, references, budget and diversity statement. 

Proposals must contain the following components (proposals with missing components will not be reviewed):

• Importance of the project to neuro health, broadly defined. What is the envisioned product that would result from the work proposed?  Who are the main competitors and what distinguishes the proposed technology from competitors? Explain how the product can improve outcomes, lower costs and/or increase access to care
• What is the current stage of the technology? Include relevant test results, proof of mechanism or prototypes
• Discuss clinical need, impacted population and market opportunity; include competing technologies and approaches
• Include intellectual property status; describe the IP strategy for the technology and team interactions with OTL
• Include a general commercial development plan, proposed regulatory pathway and reimbursement/payment approach for the technology
• What are the major remaining risks for the project? Risks may include: a) clinical need, b) engineering/science feasibility, c) intellectual property, d) business/market-competitive landscape
• List expected specific major milestones with work plan (per quarter) and research plan for achieving them during the one-year timeframe. How does the plan address the major risks and improve the translational prospects for the project?
• Describe the translational plan for follow on project work and funding post Neuroscience:Translate award.

Also address or include the following:

Approvals for animals and human subjects should be addressed ahead of the grant-funding period, include protocol numbers or a letter of exemption. Approvals are strictly required for funding dispersal and are generally not a valid rationale for no cost extension requests.

List of current funding related to this project, include all funding (dilutive and non-dilutive) supporting the project, including internal seed grants obtained and pending proposals for each co-principal investigator

If the project has not already been disclosed to the Office of Technology Licensing (OTL), it is strongly recommended that an Invention and Technology Disclosure be submitted to OTL by the application deadline. 

SEE THE INVENTOR DISCLOSURE PAGE LOCATED ON THE OTL SITE

Diversity Statement (not part of page limit)

The statement should be a thoughtful 1-2 paragraph description of your team's goal for increasing diversity, inclusion, belonging, equity and justice (DIBEJ) at Stanford. Further details (including tips for applicants) can be found in the description of Wu Tsai Neuro's grant making process.

Budget and Resources

Proposed Budget

Grants of $100,000-$120,000 direct cost for one year may be requested. Include a justification for all category items/personnel. Funds may be used for salary support of graduate students and other research staff, but may not be used for general staff or administrative support. Operating supplies, non-capital equipment items, prototyping expenses, imaging time and travel directly associated with the research activity are examples of eligible budget items. Budget details should include general categories such as personnel, supplies, travel, non-capital equipment and other project-related expenses. Submit by using the linked budget page template (download a copy of the empty form, fill it and save it as pdf to submit the application.

Team and References

• Biosketch of co-principal investigators (not to exceed 5 pages each)
• List team members, include the proposed role in the research project
• Relevant literature references

Renewal proposals/applications

Renewal applications will be evaluated on a competitive basis during the same review process as new applications. In addition to the content outlined above, a renewal application must include a brief comparison of milestones achieved vs. those planned in the original submission. 

No-cost extensions

No-Cost Extension requests may be granted upon application. Applications will be strictly reviewed for compliance with the award deliverables and project. Applications are due one month prior to the award end date by downloading, completing, saving, and submitting the linked form template.

Contact

Questions? Please contact Program Manager, Linda Lucian: llucian@stanford.edu.