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Translational Research Grant

North Carolina Biotechnology Center

The Translational Research Grant (TRG) program funds research projects that explore commercial applications or initiate the early commercial development of university-held life sciences inventions. The technology must have the potential to solve a real-world problem as a commercial product in the life sciences sector.

The goals of the TRG program include:

Advancing research discoveries toward product-focused translational research development
Generating data that addresses important product development or regulatory milestones, addresses the concerns of potential licensees or investors, or otherwise de-risks the technology for a specific commercial application
Enabling strategic “go/no-go” decision-making regarding further technology development or the pursuit of intellectual property protection
Enabling technology licensing efforts by the university
Establishing goal-oriented partnerships between university scientists, product development professionals and key stakeholders

Applicants must be researchers employed by a North Carolina-based university or nonprofit research institute. Technical projects may be conducted at awardee institutions or outsourced to contract research organizations.

Proposals will be evaluated on the composition of the project team, including a project manager, and the setting of relevant, realistic, and achievable milestones during the product development tasks.

All applicants should read these TRG Proposal Guidelines & Instructions thoroughly prior to preparing an application. If you have any questions about the program, use the contact information at the end of this document.

• Important First Step - The PI must register for an account on the NCBiotech Funding Portal at least five days prior to the deadline in order to submit a proposal. The funding portal link is https://ncbiotech.fluxx.io.

 If you have applied for a grant using the funding portal previously (for any NCBiotech funding program), you do not need to register again.

• A maximum of $130,000 may be requested, with a $14,000 supplement available to engage the required project manager.

• Projects may last up to 24 months.

• No match is required, except for any request for a single piece of equipment costing over $25,000, in which case a 25% cash match is required.

• NCBiotech grants do not pay for any type of overhead or indirect costs.

• The review process includes evaluation of a written proposal with associated materials and a recorded pitch style presentation video, all of which must be submitted by the deadline listed above.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

Success with NCBiotech funding isn’t driven solely by the scientific novelty of a project — many programs emphasize commercial relevance, economic impact, collaboration, and ecosystem development. The following predictors are consistently reflected in funded portfolios and program guidance:

1. Clear Alignment with NCBiotech’s Mission

Successful proposals align strongly with NCBiotech’s stated mission to support biotechnology innovation, commercialization, company growth, and workforce development within the state. Projects that directly contribute to economic or commercialization outcomes — in addition to scientific merit — tend to stand out. Wikipedia

Examples:

Early translational research with a clear plan for commercialization

Work that enables new biotech products or services

Initiatives tied to workforce training or industry growth

2. Demonstrated Commercial Potential or Technology Readiness

Many of NCBiotech’s programs (e.g., Flash Grants, TRGs) prioritize projects with a plausible path to market or further investment rather than purely exploratory science. Reviewers ask: Does the project advance a product, process, or innovation that stakeholders value? cas.uncg.edu

Success predictors include:

Evidence or documentation of unmet need

Metrics for technology readiness, prototyping, or validation

Identification of potential industry partners or customers

3. Strong Partnerships & Collaboration

Funds such as the Collaborative Funding Grant (CFG) explicitly require collaboration between university researchers and industry partners. Successful projects often involve multi-disciplinary teams from academia and biotech companies working together toward common goals. Kenan Institute

Why this matters:

Demonstrates real-world relevance

Shows maturity beyond basic research

Signals readiness for commercialization or scaling

4. Feasible & Well-Justified Budgets

NCBiotech expects budget requests to be directly tied to project deliverables and matched to the scale and scope of the program. For example:

Flash grants are relatively small — budgets must be tight and purposeful. cas.uncg.edu

Equipment or facility requests (Innovation Impact Grants) must show broad institutional benefit. Home

Predictor: Budgets that are realistic, clearly justified, and aligned with the planned activities.

5. Institutional and Regulatory Preparedness

Funded applicants tend to demonstrate that:

Institutional support exists (e.g., letters of support from department chairs or tech transfer offices)

Regulatory or compliance planning is addressed (e.g., human subjects, biosafety) where relevant

This reduces perceived risk and shows readiness to implement the project.

6. Potential for Follow-On Funding or Impact Scaling

Projects that build toward larger goals (e.g., future NIH/NSF funding, venture capital interest, or commercial licensing) are competitive because they extend NCBiotech’s impact. Funders view early awards as de-risking investments that unlock future capital or outcomes.

7. Broad Benefit or Ecosystem Impact

Whether it’s developing workforce pipelines, holding biotech networking events, or strengthening university cores, successful applicants articulate how the work benefits more than just the PI’s lab — e.g., multiple investigators, students, or the statewide biotech community.

🧠 Practical Tips to Improve Success

✔ Frame your project in terms of commercial impact and practical outcomes.
Articulate the problem you’re solving for industry, patients, or customers, not just the science.

✔ Show credible routes to next-stage milestones.
Even if you are at an early stage, include measurable indicators of progress and plans for follow-on support.

✔ Build meaningful partnerships.
Connect with relevant biotech companies, entrepreneurs, or tech transfer offices early.

✔ Engage your institution’s research support offices.
Letters of support and institutional team alignment improve credibility.

✔ Tailor to the specific grant type.
NCBiotech funds different activities (research, equipment, events) and each has its own expectations — follow guidelines closely.

📌 Summary of Predictors of Success

Predictor	Why It Matters
Alignment with NCBiotech mission	Core criterion for funding relevance Wikipedia
Commercial potential or translation pathway	Key for innovation and impact programs cas.uncg.edu
Partnership with industry or multiple stakeholders	Strengthens feasibility and ecosystem relevance Kenan Institute
Well-justified, feasible budget	Matches scale and improves credibility cas.uncg.edu
Institutional support & readiness	Reduces implementation risk
Clear route to next funding or impact	Enhances long-term value

Specialties

Biomedical Engineering

Technology Development

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Institutions

Proposals may be submitted by any North Carolina university or non-profit research organization. ⊗ Projects that appear to be subsidized R&D for any commercial entity may be administratively declined. Direct funding of R&D expenses for commercial firms, except contracted services, even if they have ties to NC-based universities and research institutions, is not consistent with the objectives of the program.

Principal Investigator Eligibility

At the time of submission, the Principal Investigator (PI) must hold a full-time, tenure-track or tenured faculty appointment, or an appointment as full-time research faculty with a dedicated independent lab at the applicant institution, or an equivalent faculty designation in a medical/professional school.

⊗ The PI may not have more than two active awards from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center at the same time.

Intellectual Property Eligibility

Eligible projects support inventions that, at a minimum, have been disclosed to the university’s technology transfer office at the time of application. The applicant must attest that the IP rights are assigned to the applicant’s institution and have not been committed through license or option to license to any third party at the time of application.

Eligible Countries:

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: North Carolina Biotechnology Center

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 15 T.W. Alexander Drive Durham, NC 27713-2847

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