Read the FFMI Newsletter online: View as Webpage
JULY 16, 2020
Training & Events
Wednesday, August 5
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST
Webinar
Wednesday, August 19
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST
Webinar
Funding
Kickstart Early-Stage Funding Award Proposals Due August 1
Fast Forward Medical Innovation is now accepting proposals for the next round of Kickstart applications, due Saturday, August 1.

Part of the MTRAC for Life Sciences Innovation Hub, Kickstart Awards offer early-stage funding to biomedical researchers across the state of Michigan. The award is aimed to enhance the commercial potential of a technology owned by any Michigan-based non-profit to the point of demonstration of utility and offers possible inclusion in the MTRAC for Life Sciences Innovation Hub or other research funding programs.

Questions? Contact Sara Risch, Biomedical Innovation Specialist, at  johnssar@umich.edu or 734-764-5598.
Commercialization Education
New! Innovation Studio Offers Project Feedback
Looking for feedback and input on your biomedical innovation? Join the Fast Forward Medical Innovation team for Innovation Studio, virtual office hours that give life science innovators of all levels the chance to address project needs, challenges, or questions. Participants can get individual feedback on:
  • innovation concepts
  • opportunities for commercialization education
  • funding resources
  • any other innovation concerns that faculty, staff, or trainees may have

The Innovation Studio is available for 30-minute consultations via Zoom every third Tuesday of the month, beginning July 21, 2020. Space is limited.
Idea to Impact Commercialization Webinar Series
Idea to Impact is a seven-part, á la carte webinar series intended to educate and connect life science researchers and academic innovators from across the state in the commercialization of academic research.

The FFMI team has worked with leading biomedical researchers from the University of Michigan and surrounding institutions to put together this series that will help participants learn how to translate a research-based idea into a product of impact, and outline the significance and critical milestones necessary to develop:
  • novel therapeutics 
  • medical devices 
  • diagnostics 
  • digital health innovations 
  • essential collaborations with industry partners

Webinars take place every two weeks. All webinars that have already taken place are available on demand. CLICK HERE for a complete list of webinar dates and times and access to recorded webinars.

The next webinar, "Unique Considerations and the Clinical Utility of Medical Devices and Diagnostic Technologies," will take place Wednesday, July 22, from 3:00pm-4:00pm EST.

Even if you’ve participated in an FFMI education course or program in the past, the webinars will serve both as valuable refresher for what you’ve learned, as well as cover a variety of new information and helpful material.

Questions? Email Jon Servoss, FFMI Director of Commercialization Education, at  servossj@umich.edu.
New Intellectual Property Video Offers Expert Advice for Faculty and Students
Check out FFMI's new Intellectual Property in the Academic Setting video that provides insight from FFMI and the Office of Technology Transfer about the importance of intellectual property in the commercialization of your innovation.
FFMI fast PACE Fall Cohort Registration Available
FFMI  fast PACE is a 4-week biomedical and commercialization course designed to help participants prepare a successful business case for funding and development partnerships.

Registration is now available for the Fall cohort beginning September 25. Sign up today!
Aikens Innovation Academy Pitch Showcase August 3
The  FCVC/FFMI Aikens Innovation Academy , now in its second year, is a program for FCVC faculty, staff, and trainees consisting of education, mentoring, and funding designed to progress innovative ideas.

The cornerstone of the program is a 10-week course on innovation and commercialization concepts, taught by David Olson, Ph.D., life science entrepreneur and Office of Technology Transfer mentor-in-residence. The course combines lectures with workshops, and innovators leave the course with a well-developed pitch for resources. Innovators receive mentorship from the course instructor, FCVC Innovation team, and FFMI. Projects with commercial potential are eligible to apply for early-stage funding and will be connected with appropriate early- and mid-stage funding life science commercialization mechanisms administered by FFMI.

The Aikens Innovation Academy Pitch Showcase is the conclusion of the course, where participants will share the pitches they developed for resources. The Pitch Showcase will take place Monday, August 3, from 5:00pm-7:00pm.
FFMI Follow-Up
MTRAC Awardee Receives Follow-On Funding
MTRAC award winner, James Moon, Ph.D., John Gideon Searle Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Medical School and College of Engineering, recently received funding from Michigan Drug Discovery to continue his ongoing work to develop immunotherapy agents for the treatment of cancer.
Bulletin Board
Mcubed Program Winds Down
After funding nearly 800 interdisciplinary projects across U-M's three campuses, the Mcubed program is closing. Program operations have been transferred to OVPR, which will see active projects through to close-out. Mcube's closing does not affect current project end dates; teams may continue to spend down project funds as planned. The Mcubed website will go offline on July 19; please retrieve any information or screenshots for your records before that time. The Mcubed Communities platform will also go offline. For questions, no-cost time extension requests, or other support, please contact McubedHelp@umich.edu.
Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research Global Scholars Program
The University of Michigan has been invited by Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research to participate in their Global Scholars Program. This highly competitive program connects university faculty involved in drug discovery research and related technologies from international academic institutions with scientific sponsors at Novartis to explore new and exciting research directions toward transformative medicines. Projects selected for funding will receive up to one million dollars over a three-year period to cover direct and indirect costs.

The deadline for internal submissions is July 25, 2020, and all submissions must first be cleared through U-M Office of Technology Transfer.
LHS Collaboratory Special Webinar about a Global LHS for COVID-19
The Learning Health System Collaboratory is presenting a 90-minute webinar designed to share the work of an international collaboration to develop the foundation for a global Learning Health System addressing COVID-19 and future public health crises.

Wednesday, July 29
10:00am-11:30am

Presenters will share lessons learned from Italy, Spain, and the United States, including describing a proposed international comprehensive systemic framework for collection, management, and analysis of high-quality data to inform decisions in managing the clinical response and social measure to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our Collaborators
U-M Tech Transfer
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.
Fast Forward Medical Innovation is part of the Office of Research, where our mission is to foster an environment of innovation and efficiency that serves the U-M Medical School community and supports biomedical science from insight to impact.