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.
Donor Name: North Carolina Biotechnology Center
State: North Carolina
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/28/2026
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
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
TRG projects are team-driven and milestone-based, to advance scientific discoveries towards commercialization opportunities.
Team-driven projects must include the following Team members:
- Principal Investigator
- Project Manager
- Technology Transfer Officer
- End User
- Business Case Advisor (optional)
Milestone-based technical projects plans must include:
- Clear study designs with appropriate controls
- Quantifiable data collection and analysis
- Identifiable go/no-go decision-making points and endpoints
- Clearly defined miles
Funding Information
- A maximum of $130,000 may be requested, with a $14,000 supplement available to engage the required project manager.
- 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.
- Projects may last up to 24 months.
Eligibility Criteria
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
- 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
- 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.
For more information, visit NCBC.
