Exchange Ideas
BIOCOM is consistently working to keep its members abreast of current trends and issues impacting their business as well as expanding members’ professional network through our more than 100 networking opportunities annually. It is via these events that we are able to provide a supportive environment to facilitate technology convergence that will assist our medical device, diagnostic, biotechnology and pharmaceutical member companies to continually increase their technology synergies to fill their pipeline. BIOCOM’s event programming includes intimate events targeted at specific life science professionals as well as large scale events that bring together the Southern California industry as a whole.
If you are interested in sponsoring a BIOCOM event, please contact Shaye Exner.
Past Event Information
Thank you for attending BIOCOM and Goodwin Procter's Orange County event Medical Device Companies: Opportunities in 2010 on October 21, 2009.
For your convenience, a copy of the presentation can be found by clicking BIOCOM OC Medical Device Breakfast.pdf.
NCI Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs and Funding Opportunities
On August 19th, BIOCOM hosted a program featuring information about the latest National Cancer Institute (“NCI”) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) & Small Business Technology Transfer (“STTR”) funding opportunities.
During the session, Michael Weingarten, Director of the NCI SBIR Development Center, and Dr. Ali Andalibi, the Program Director of the NCI SBIR Development Center, gave advice and helpful information on the process for all phases of the SBIR/STTR programs and gave an in depth overview of the latest NIH contract topics and funding opportunities available.
As you may know, the NCI SBIR & STTR Programs are an entryway to federally-funded cancer research, and are structured in three phases. In Phase I, a company may be awarded up to $100,000 to test the technical merit and feasibility of their concept. Although support is generally provided for six months for SBIR (and one year for STTR), Phase I applicants may try and justify longer periods of time or greater amounts of funds that may be necessary to complete their project.
Once a company is successfully granted a Phase I award, it may then apply for a two-year Phase II award of up to $750,000 to help further develop its particular concept. Proposals are judged competitively on the basis of scientific, technical, and commercial merit.
To help address the funding gap a company may encounter between the end of the Phase II award and the commercialization stage, the NCI SBIR Program has created a Bridge Award pilot initiative for previously funded NIH SBIR Phase II projects in the areas of cancer therapies and imaging technologies. With budgets up to $1 million in total costs per year that may be requested from the NCI over three years, the funding opportunity is designed to bridge the “Valley of Death” between development and commercialization with NIH funding that stimulates private investment through matching fund incentives.
To aid in the success of this new effort, the NCI scheduled private meetings with attendees and provided valuable tips on applying for funding through the program and discussed how SBIR can help foster partnerships and collaborations between academic researcher and the industry. Click here to view the newest NIH contract topics. NCI topics start on page 39. There are 23 total.
Click here to view Mr. Michael Weingarten’s presentation
Click here to view Dr. Ali Andalibi’s presentation