OVPR
Request for Proposals for the OVPR Technology Development Fund
OVPR has made funds available to help assist discoveries make the transition from invention to commercialization. These funds are intended to be used to bridge the “gap” that often exists between research stage technologies and technologies that are ready to be licensed by corporations. Commercial-ready technologies often require a working prototype, or a more developed prototype that has been validated for a greater number of conditions or environments than earlier prototype(s). Or, sometimes further proof-of-concept studies are needed to validate the technology under different or more rigorous conditions. These studies can be difficult to do in a university setting because of a lack of adequate funding for these later stages of research and development.
The Technology Development Funds are expected to be used for projects that will:
- Enable a working prototype based on previously disclosed technology.
- Enable further testing, refinement, and development of an existing prototype or proof-of-concept.
- Scale-up of “lab-sized” mass or dimension (chemicals, designs, test-beds, reactors, etc.).
- Demonstrate proof-of-concept for a commercially relevant application of an existing “platform” technology (proof-of-concept may have already been proven in the lab, under different conditions).
This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of possible projects, but rather some examples of the types of projects that are likely to be funded.
Proposals will be judged on the following four criteria:
- The relevance of the proposed project for the TDF fund, given this fund’s specific mandate for “technology development” and commercialization (for example, if the proposal is based on an idea and no work has been done to validate the idea, it is likely that this may not be the most appropriate funding source.)
- How well the author(s) has described the specific development problem and how well has he/she demonstrated or explained how this money will specifically address the problem.
- Is there a clear market or commercial need for the technology, or is there clear evidence of “market pull”? (Cost share, direct financial support, or letters of support from industry or other sources can be an excellent indicator of market pull.)
- How likely is it that funding the proposed project will lead to successful commercialization?
Funding (up to $ 20,000 per project) is available for the current fiscal year. Proposed projects must be based on technology/intellectual property (IP) disclosed to OVPR. Proposals must also reference the IP case number.
Deadline: December 9, 2009
Application 
Send a hard-copy of the proposal to the OVPR office (Suite 210 W Walwood Hall, mail stop 5456) prior to the end of the day on December 9, 2009.