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JANUARY 14, 2021
Dear Colleagues,

Happy New Year!

Like many of our partners across the Medical School, the Fast Forward Medical Innovation team continues to work from home. But also like many of you, with the hoped-for ramp up of the COVID-19 vaccine, our team is looking forward to 2021 with an increased sense of optimism.

We're putting together new educational programming, developing and nurturing current and new projects with U-M researchers and our business partners, and maintaining our many funding programs to give researchers the support they need to further their cutting-edge biomedical innovations.

2021 holds an incredible amount of potential to make a significant, positive impact on biomedical research and patients. We look forward to exploring and creating more groundbreaking opportunities and initiatives that support our colleagues and external partners as they move their ideas down the commercialization path, with the ultimate goal of improved patient care.

Best Regards,
Bradley Martin, Ph.D.
Director
Fast Forward Medical Innovation
Funding
Kickstart Early-Stage Funding Proposals Now Due February 1 - RFP Available
FFMI is currently accepting proposals for the next round of Kickstart applications, due Monday, February 1, 2021. This is a change from the previous May 1, 2021, proposal deadline. The Kickstart program has moved to a semi-annual RFP, with proposals due on the first of February and August.

Kickstart awards, made possible by the Michigan Economic Development CorporationMTRAC for Life Sciences Innovation Hub, the U-M Medical School Office of Research, and the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research, offer early-stage funding to biomedical researchers across the state of Michigan. This award is designed to enhance the commercial potential of a technology owned by any Michigan-based non-profit to the point of demonstration of utility and possible inclusion in MTRAC or other research funding programs.
Michigan Biomedical Venture Fund Portfolio Company, ONL Therapeutics, Closes $46.9 Million in Series B Financing
ONL Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company founded by U-M faculty, Dr. David Zacks to develop novel therapies for protecting the vision of patients with retinal disease.

The company, led by CEO David Esposito, announced it closed on $46.9 million in a Series B Preferred Stock financing round. The financing included new investors Bios Partners, which led the round, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc., Kaitai Capital, PSQ Capital, and Michigan Capital Network Venture Fund III. This funding supports the completion of a Phase 1 study in retinal detachment with ONL’s lead compound ONL1204. In addition, the funding will advance ONL1204 in two chronic indications, glaucoma, and dry age-related macular degeneration. 
Commercialization Education
Sign Up for February 16 Innovation Studio
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. The next available consultations will take place Tuesday, February 16, between 2:00pm-3:30pm. Space is limited.
FCVC Innovation Challenge Strives to Improve Cardiovascular Care
The 2021 Frankel Cardiovascular Center (FCVC) Innovation Challenge will take place virtually on May 20, 2021.

This year, submissions for both the Grand Prize and Just Do it Awards will be in video format. Submissions will be accepted until February 18, 2021.

Now in its fifth year, the Innovation Challenge awards up to $100,000 to one or more winners. The goal is to empower the community of trainees, faculty, staff, patients, and families at the CVC to propose, test, and implement new innovations.
FFMI fastpace Spring Cohort Registration Available
FFMI fastPACE is a four-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 Spring 2021 cohort, to be held virtually, beginning Friday, April 30. Sign up today!

Questions? Email Jon Servoss, FFMI Director of Commercialization Education.
A New Year's Resolution for Innovators: Develop Your Pitch
Learn how to create a 5-minute pitch presentation for your biomedical innovation.

Follow along with this "how-to" video and download the pitch presentation template to get started.
FFMI Follow-Up
EVOQ Therapeutics Inks Deal Worth Up to $240 Million With Amgen
MTRAC award winner and Michigan Biomedical Venture Fund portfolio company, EVOQ Therapeutics, announced a license and collaboration agreement worth up to $240 million with Amgen for the discovery and development of novel drugs for autoimmune disorders.
Brahmajee Nallamothu Named New Precision Health Co-Director
MTRAC award winner, Brahmajee Nallamothu, M.D., MPH, the Stevo Julius Research Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, and professor of internal medicine in the Medical School, has become co-director of Precision Health at U-M. He joins co-directors Jenna Wiens, Ph.D., and Michael Boehnke, Ph.D. Nallamothu succeeds Sachin Kheterpal, M.D., MBA, who is stepping down as co-director.

Congraulations, Brahmajee!
Molly Stout Inspired A New Way to Predict Preterm Births
Frankel Innovation Initiative award winner, Molly Stout, M.D., MSCI, Division Chief for Maternal Fetal Medicine, was the subject of a recent article highlighting her work on preterm births.

“I’ve always been interested in research and I soon realized a lot of obstetrics remains unexplained, especially related to preterm births,” Stout said. “Over 10% of babies in the U.S. are born preterm, putting them at immediate risk of death and lifelong risk of adverse health outcomes, but we don’t have a clear understanding of the why behind our disease processes."

Great job, Molly! 
Bulletin Board
Don't Miss the LHS Collaboratory Featuring Rachel Richesson
The LHS Collaboratory presents Rachel Richesson, Ph.D., MPH, M.S., FACMI, Professor of Learning Health Sciences, Department of Learning Health Sciences at the University of Michigan, in a virtual event on January 21, 2021, from 11:30am - 1:00pm.

Professor Richesson's talk, "Data Standards and Learning Health Systems –Challenges and Opportunities" will be followed by an audience Q&A. Questions are also encouraged prior to the event. Please send questions to LHSCollaboratory-info@umich.edu.
The U-M Coulter Program Translational Research Partnership Program Call for Letters of Interest is Now Open
Have a great medical device concept that could improve healthcare?

The Coulter Program collaboratively works with U-M faculty to develop medical device concepts invented at U-M and license the related intellectual property rights to medical device companies who complete development and seek FDA approvals. Apply for funding by February 12, 2021.

New in 2021! The Coulter Program has two award programs - Enlighten and Evolve. It is now required to submit a Letter of Interest prior to receiving an invitation to submit a full project proposal. Proposals will be accepted through March 19, with pitches for Enlighten Awards occurring the week of April 12.

For more information, contact Thomas Marten, Managing Director, Coulter Program at tmarten@umich.edu or 734-647-1680.
Call for Nominations - Research Faculty & Research Staff Awards 2021
The U-M Office of the Vice President for Research established the annual Research Awards to recognize excellence among research faculty and research staff. Please take a moment and consider nominating your most outstanding and talented research faculty and research staff colleagues.

DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS: February 15, 2021
RFP Now Open: Michigan Medicine-PKUHSC Joint Institute
Following a temporary suspension of the RFP process due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Joint Institute of the University of Michigan and Peking University Health Science Center has announced the re-activation of its awards cycle.

Projects will be prioritized that demonstrate an effective team approach to discovery, emphasize new findings on diseases relative to both countries, and can be leveraged for extramural funding opportunities.

DEADLINE: February 24, 2021
Asahi Kasei Pharma Looking to Collaborate on Drug Development
Asahi Kasei Pharma is publicly calling for new proposals related to drug development needs. Submissions will be assessed with respect to their potential as concepts for collaborative research and fostering of research.

Drug candidates are being sought in the following therapeutic fields:
  • neurodegenerative disease 
  • autoimmune disease 
  • critical care medicine 
  • bone/cartilage conditions 
  • muscle-related disease 

There will be a Zoom meeting with Asahi Kasei on Thursday, January 21 at 6:00pm EST to address questions. Contact Debra Grega for further details and the meeting link.

The application period ends at 8:00am GMT (3:00am EST) on February 25, 2021.
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.