The Wallace H. Coulter Endowment at Duke University provides funding to support collaborative translational research projects that involve Duke faculty from the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) and a clinical department in the School of Medicine.
The goal of this program is to accelerate the development of promising bioengineering research that addresses unmet clinical needs and leads to improvements in health care and to commercial products. Program metrics include successful licensing to industry, creation of new, professionally managed, and financed companies. Emphasis is also placed on improving health and the ability to secure follow-on support. Examples of desirable outcomes include inventions, patents, improved diagnosis and treatment of disease, follow-on funding (e.g., grants, SBIR, angel investment), commercial products, licenses, commercial partnerships and start-up companies.
The Wallace H. Coulter Endowment provides approximately $700,000 for direct costs each year to support the translation of projects. Typically, three to five grants are funded each cycle. Grant sizes have varied from $40,000 to $330,000. Award amounts vary based upon amount requested and budget evaluation of the Oversight Committee.
Deadlines:
Only permanent, full-time, faculty in the professorial ranks (assistant, associate, or full) may apply.
Each proposal must have at least two PIs, including a primary or secondary BME faculty, and one clinical faculty from the Duke University School of Medicine. Clinical faculty includes professionals with access to patients or patient samples. Larger teams of PIs may also be assembled. New collaborations are valued.
The research must lead to improvements in commercial development and clinical, and the objectives of the project should include an outcome that will benefit patients and address unmet clinical needs.
