Establishing a Company

The KickStart Award Program helps early-stage companies meet commercial milestones either on the technical side (prototype development, animal studies) or on the business side (regulatory pathway, freedom to operate).

Requests for proposals (RFAs) are solicited on a quarterly basis from faculty founders. The awards are in the $25,000 to $50,000 range depending the on the company’s needs.

The program also provides funding and access to internal and external business experts to assist faculty with the commercial translation of concepts for novel therapeutic small molecules, biologics, diagnostics, devices or digital health. Applicants are encouraged to reach out to KickStart prior to submission to ensure the funding opportunity objectives and solicitation are aligned.

The program is designed to encourage and facilitate novel clinical and translational research in its many forms. Cross-disciplinary basic science research addressing the development of therapies, diagnostics or devices applicable to human disease, clinical research/trials, epidemiological studies, and/or community-based research are considered eligible for these awards.