Fast Forward Medical Innovation and the Department of Internal Medicine are hosting a webinar series to introduce the basic concepts of life science research commercialization and connect clinicians and research investigators with supportive resources.

The six-part webinar series will:

The webinars will be held Wednesdays, beginning January 18, 2023, from 12:00pm-1:00pm.

The FFMI/FCVC Aikens Innovation Academy is currently accepting applications/inquiries for its Winter 2023 course, beginning Tuesday, January 31, 2023. The Aikens Innovation Academy, a collaboration between the Frankel Cardiovascular Center (FCVC) and FFMI, provides innovation and entrepreneurship education, mentorship, and funding for FCVC faculty, staff, trainees, and patients with any innovation (clinical value or commercial potential) affecting cardiovascular care.

The 2023 course will be virtual and run until Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Enrollees will leave with enhanced knowledge of innovation and entrepreneurship concepts, in addition to a well-developed pitch for resources. They will also receive mentorship and an opportunity for early-stage development funding. Visit the FCVC Innovation Program page to see past Innovation Academy enrollees. Please apply here or contact Ashley Schork at ashlscho@umich.edu.

The Pennsylvania Pediatric Medical Device Consortium (PPDC), in partnership with Archimedic, is accepting applications for the Early-Stage Pediatric Medical Device Development Program.

U-M is part of this consortium of 12 other high-profile schools in the Midwest and mid-Atlantic, and is able to offer this unique funding opportunity to assist in the development of early-stage pediatric medical devices that address unmet clinical needs in children. The deadline is Monday, November 14. 

Questions? Contact Brad Martin, Ph.D., Director, Fast Forward Medical Innovation at bradmart@umich.edu or John Charpie, M.D., Ph.D., Clinical Professor, Pediatric Cardiology at jcharpie@umich.edu.

The annual U-M Data Science and AI Summit (previously known as the annual symposium) is the largest annual data science and AI event on campus. It brings together the U-M data science and AI research community, and their external collaborators, to build research vision and collaboration. The event also showcases the breadth and depth of U-M data science and AI research, from theory and methodology development to the transformative use of data and AI to address scientific and societal challenges in all domains.

The Summit is free for all attendees (U-M faculty, staff, and trainees, as well as industry, government, and community members).

The Public Engagement Faculty Fellowship works in partnership with units across campus to foster faculty public engagement at the University of Michigan. The fellowship supports faculty by providing an opportunity to develop skills and incubate project ideas, while also encouraging recognition of, and experimentation with, all forms of public engagement. The program brings together an interdisciplinary, intergenerational group of faculty members interested in building community and learning from each other and campus experts to effectively engage the public for larger societal impacts.

As more and more investigators begin to adopt mobile technologies, such as wearable devices and apps, it is important to be aware of the scientific, regulatory, and implementation considerations when starting a study.

The Clinical Trials Support Office, in collaboration with the Mobile Technologies Core and WIRED-L Center, is hosting the Mobile Technologies in Research virtual presentation on Tuesday, December 13, from 5:00pm-6:30pm. The event will provide investigators with the foundational knowledge to ensure the successful execution of innovative research using these technologies. Through presentations and a panel discussion, participants will walk away with an awareness of on-campus resources that support remote data capture and intervention, and will also gain familiarity with the general process for engaging in mobile/wearable device-based clinical research. FFMI's Mike Ranella, M.B.A., M.P.H., Senior Director, Business Development, will be a speaker on the panel.

Asahi Kasei Pharma is calling for new proposals for its Open Innovation program to promote pharmaceutical R&D through enhanced cooperation with universities, research institutes, and enterprises around the world.

Proposals are solicited concerning new drug seeds (drug target and drug candidate) and technologies in the therapeutic fields of autoimmune disease, renal disease, neurodegenerative disease, bone disease, and drug discovery platform technology. Submissions will be assessed for their potential for collaborative research.

For more information, please contact Debra Grega, FFMI Business Development Director, or visit the Asahi Kasei website. If there is interest, Debra can arrange a discussion with Asahi Kasei.

Researchers still have the opportunity to interview and select Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) students to work on projects for winter semester. Students participate in the program the entire academic year from September-April. However, if the project starts in winter, students can extend into summer and/or the following academic year. UROP covers the students’ compensation through work-study funds or academic credit.

To better navigate the complexities of the U-M biomedical research enterprise, visit the Research Project Lifecycle. This interactive tool provides an overview of the resources available to you, not only within the Medical School Office of Research but also across the University of Michigan.