Secure the backing you need to succeed
UC San Diego fosters relationships with funding resources to support the development of new technologies and the growth of our local economy. Our Office of Innovation and Commercialization is dedicated to providing nascent companies with internal funding opportunities and access to external investors.
Triton Technology Fund
Created by a group of UC San Diego faculty, students, and alumni in the areas of software, communications, electronics, materials, medical devices, and instruments, the Triton Technology Fund is externally managed and owned by a UC San Diego alumnus and venture capitalist aiming to bridge the gap for early stage companies.
Rady Venture Fund
The Rady Venture Fund provides investment capital, education opportunities, and hands on learning experiences for Rady MBA students and other UC San Diego graduate students. The Rady Venture Fund is solely funded by individual donations to the business school through the UC San Diego Foundation.
Osage University Partners
Osage Partners is a leading venture capital firm that specializes in university based startup investment. Our office works very closely with Osage and its investment team members to provide instruction and insight to our researchers and potential industry partners interested in commercializing our technology.
Campus Funding
Proof of Concept
Accelerating Innovations to Market (AIM) Program
Coordinated by the Office of Innovation and Commercialization, the AIM program provides support to advance the commercial impact of UC San Diego technologies by investing in milestone based projects to develop proof-of-concept, reduce early stage risk, and focus on value-driven engagement with industry. Open to UC San Diego graduate students, postdoctoral associates, researchers, and faculty, AIM grants are competitive and awarded for a one year term in two tracks: (i) devices and materials and (ii) software based technologies.
IGE Tech Accelerator
Established to fast track early stage, high impact technologies and shorten timelines for innovations to enter the market, IGE Tech Accelerator provides selected teams with mentors, domain experts, and industry partners for advancement of technologies to the near market prototype stage.
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Medical Entrepreneurship Education and Training (MEET) Program
Funded by California State Assembly Bill 2664, the MEET Program supports faculty projects for a period of 12-24 months to accelerate the transition from completed proof-of-concept innovations to commercial viability, such as startup entity development or viable licensing arrangement. Teams seeking matching funding commitments for reducing risk and advancing commercialization are particularly welcome.
Projects must be pertinent to an aspect of healthcare or health sciences and may include software based technologies, devices, diagnostics, therapeutics or materials. Initial funds were disbursed in July 2017 and subsequent progress based installments will be made available on an ongoing basis. Because this program offers a rapid turnaround for funding decisions and award initiation, this call for proposals is intended for teams that have preliminary data on their innovation and are ready to move into the commercialization phase.
Health Sciences
Health Sciences Grant Funding
Members of the Academic Senate are eligible to apply for individual grants. Financial support may be provided for individuals who are not members of the Academic Senate (i.e. Adjunct and Clinical Professors, Research Scientists, and assistant-level Project Scientists). The Committee does not support individuals such as associate and full project scientists, post-docs, clinical instructors and non-salaried faculty.
Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute Academic Pilot Project Grant
These grants support the development and expansion of community-university partnerships in research by strengthening and funding collaborative research partnerships between UC San Diego, San Diego State University (SDSU), other partner institution faculty, local communities and their leaders.
Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute and the Institute of Engineering in Medicine
Galvanizing Engineering in Medicine (GEM) is a competitive grant challenge in which engineering solutions are tasked with building a collaborative ecosystem that leverages UC San Diego’s outstanding strengths in clinical care and engineering to develop and implement innovative healthcare solutions.
University of California
UC Center for Accelerated Innovation (UC CAI)
The UC CAI invites applications for development of novel technologies that address heart, lung, and blood diseases. This opportunity will support a broad range of drugs, devices (including wireless devices), diagnostics and tools with high potential of becoming commercially viable products that address an unmet need.
Faculty in all series and ranks at UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC San Diego, and UC San Francisco are eligible. Postdoctoral scholars are eligible to submit applications as Co-PI with a faculty PI.
Science and Technology
2018 Moore Inventor Fellows
This award seeks to identify outstanding early stage inventors who harness science and technology solutions to enhance scientific research, strengthen environmental conservation, or improve the experience and outcomes of patient care. Candidates must be faculty, research scientists, postdocs or other fulltime staff at eligible institutions who received the terminal advanced degree in their field (M.S., Ph.D. or M.D.) within the past 10 years.
Fellows will receive funding for three years at a level of $200,000 per year from the Moore Foundation. In addition to funds for the fellow, the foundation will provide $25,000 each year to the institution for costs associated with administering the grant award, resulting in a total three year award of $675,000. Host institutions will be required to make a contribution of $50,000 in annual support of the inventor’s work.
Federal
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program
The mission of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program is to support scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of Federal research funds in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy. SBIR enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization.
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