Program Categories: For Not-for-Profit & Academic Institutions

Workforce Development Capital Grant Program

Workforce Development Capital Grant Program

Program Overview

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) seeks to further the development and expansion of life sciences education and training programs offered by post-secondary academic institutions and non-profit organizations through capital investment in industry-aligned certificate and degree programs. The MLSC Workforce Development Capital Grant Program will award funding of up to $750,000 per project for the purchase and installation of life sciences equipment, lab furniture, materials, supplies, and/or technology that will enable them to effectively prepare students for high-demand career opportunities in the life sciences.

Through this program, the MLSC is particularly seeking to seed, enhance and/or expand training programs that address critical skills and talent supply gaps facing the state’s life science industry. Such programs include those focused on biomanufacturing, data science, and regulatory affairs occupations, among others, and have at least one industry partnership. Furthermore, the MLSC is committed to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the life sciences workforce and will prioritize investment in programs that serve underrepresented populations.

The application period will run from Dec. 15, 2022 through March 15, 2023 at 5 p.m. EST.

Eligibility & Evaluation

Applicants must be a Massachusetts legally organized not-for-profit college, university, or organization delivering post-secondary life sciences training.

Funding must be requested for equipment, supplies, materials, and/or technology to support training that prepares students with skills needed for life sciences careers. Programs must have a focus on skills training for high-demand occupations within the life sciences sector, including but not limited to biomanufacturing, regulatory affairs, data science, facilities management, quality control and quality assurance. The “life sciences” are defined in the MLSC’s enabling legislation as “advanced and applied sciences that expand the understanding of human physiology and have the potential to lead to medical advances or therapeutic applications.”

The MLSC is interested in supporting applicants that will further its goal of developing a skilled workforce suitable for employment in the life sciences, particularly in high-demand occupations. Successful proposals will explain how the requested equipment and supplies will create learning opportunities that are aligned with the needs of the life sciences industry.

Please refer to the Solicitation posted below for more information.

Resources

Solicitation

Application
Applicants are required to create an account prior to accessing the application. If you already have an account, please log in to begin the application.

Impact on the Ecosystem

New state-of-the-art facilities outfitted with industry-standard equipment are now available in all regions of Massachusetts following a decade of strategic investment. The MLSC previously awarded more than $184 million to 44 colleges and universities to support the construction, renovation, and/or outfitting of life sciences classrooms, labs, and training facilities. More than 60 grants have enabled higher education institutions to train students in first-rate laboratories and provide them with skillsets that meet the needs of their region’s life sciences employers.

Connect with us to Learn More

If you have any questions regarding the application process, e-mail: mlsccapital@masslifesciences.com.

Ernest E. Just Life Sciences Initiative

Ernest E. Just Life Sciences Initiative

Program Overview

It is essential that our life sciences ecosystem values and embraces a diverse workforce. It is not only about equal representation, it is about the strong business case, the bottom line, and ensuring the next big breakthroughs to save lives and improve patient outcomes. That’s why here in Massachusetts, we know that the strongest life sciences sector is a diverse one.

The Massachusetts life Sciences Center (MLSC) has partnered with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) on the Ernest E. Just Life Sciences Initiative , which creates internship opportunities in the Boston-area for students enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). The second round of the program will offer internships during the summer of 2023. Students will gain valuable experience and a network of professionals to pave a path for a fulfilling career in the life sciences.

UNCF will help provide transportation, housing, and other vital wrap around services to ensure students have a welcoming, memorable, and rewarding time in Boston this summer. Please note that the program is currently offering on-site for lab opportunities only.

Impact from HBCU Schools

Black professionals face underrepresentation in STEM fields, but HBCUs help close that gap. In 2019, 27 percent of all Black STEM graduates received HBCU degrees. Between 1995-2004, 46 percent of Black woman STEM degree-holders graduated from an HBCU. At the doctoral level, nearly 30 percent of Black graduates with a doctorate in science or engineering attended an HBCU.

HBCU students have an advantage long past graduation. A whopping 25 percent of African American graduates with STEM degrees come from HBCUs. Eight HBCUs were among the top 20 institutions to award the most science and engineering bachelor’s degrees to black graduates from 2008-2012.

Though HBCUs make up only three percent of the country’s colleges and universities, they enroll 10 percent of all African American students and produce almost 20 percent of all African American graduates.

Impact on the Ecosystem

In the inaugural year, the initiative created 23 meaningful internship opportunities in the Boston-area for students enrolled in MSI including HBCUs through the MLSC’s Internship Challenge program and the partnership of life sciences companies. The Initiative provided students an opportunity to spend 10 weeks interning at various participating host companies from small to large size life sciences companies.

In addition to internship funding, the MLSC is proud to support the Ernest E. Just Life Sciences Initiative with $100,000 in additional funding to create internship opportunities in the Boston-area for students enrolled in the program.

Connect with us to Learn More

If you have further questions regarding the application process, please email: internship@masslifesciences.com.

Women’s Health Innovation Grants

Women’s Health Innovation Grants

Program Overview

The Women’s Health Innovation Grants are part of the MLSC’s Women’s Health Initiative. The grants focus on projects with translational potential and preliminary supporting data, but still require a key set of proof-of-concept experiments prior to attracting a commercial partner or spinning out into a new company. Projects could include hiring a postdoc to perform research, working with a CRO, entering into a sponsored research agreement, etc.

Individual grants of up to $300,000 will be awarded to Massachusetts-based women’s health researchers, and up to $3 million is available for the whole program.

The application period will run from Oct. 3, 2022 to Jan. 12, 2023 at 8 p.m. EST.

Eligibility & Evaluation

Eligible applicants must be a full or part-time faculty at a Massachusetts-based research institution proposing a project focused on increasing our understanding of sex and gender differences in biology (that has translational potential) or developing solutions for diseases or conditions that affect women solely, disproportionately, or differently. Funding must be used to support an experiment or experiments that increase(s) the translational opportunity for the technology with a defined goal such as filing patents, securing sponsored research agreement, attracting other industry support, etc.

To evaluate applications, an external panel of scientists from academia and industry with expertise in women’s health and translating early-stage innovations will review applications with an eye towards their value to our understanding of women’s health, the unmet need they are addressing, and the proposed solution, among other criteria.

Please see full list of eligibility requirements and evaluation process.

Resources

Sample Application

Deliverables, Confidentiality, and General Conditions

Learn more about the Women’s Health Initiative

R.E.D.: Research Equipment Database

D.A.T.A. (Databases, Algorithms, Tools, and Analyses) Repository

Impact on the Ecosystem

Massachusetts recognizes there has been a lack of development in novel solutions to treat conditions that affect women solely, disproportionately, or differently. This impacts not only patients but also employers and the healthcare system. The consequences are profound, with women more likely to have adverse drug reactions than men, and the lack of effective therapies results in reduced quality of life. The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center aims to support and incentivize translational project teams developing novel solutions in this area of need.

Connect with us to Learn More

If you have any questions regarding the application process, e-mail WomensHealth@masslifesciences.com with the Innovation Grant in the subject line.

Accelerating Coronavirus Testing Solutions (A.C.T.S.)

Accelerating Coronavirus Testing Solutions (A.C.T.S.)

Program Overview

By any measure, Massachusetts’ life sciences ecosystem is one of the most robust in the world. Whether you measure public or private investments, top research universities and academic medical centers, STEM education, R&D infrastructure, talent, or life science companies, Massachusetts leads the way in bringing healthcare innovations to patients. This life science community can positively and quickly continue to impact the current COVID-19 pandemic. The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center is in a unique position to accelerate this impact by identifying, supporting, and funding novel innovations and solutions for SARS-CoV-2 testing. The Center is soliciting proposals to improve testing solutions and address supply chain logistics bottlenecks during this critical time to ensure the safety of its constituents and the world.

This project call will leverage Massachusetts’ R & D capabilities and innovation infrastructure to accelerate the development of improved testing modalities and address supply chain logistical bottlenecks that hinder our ability to quickly and effectively combat and contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

We are no longer soliciting new applications for the A.C.T.S. program. We are working to evaluate funding availability and may reopen if additional funding is available.

Eligibility & Evaluation

Applicants can be Massachusetts-based for-profit companies or non-profit institutions, which includes research institutions, academic medical centers, and colleges and universities. Municipalities or other governmental entities are not eligible to apply.

The MLSC is requesting proposals to address the gaps that currently exist in SARS-CoV-2 testing. Projects funded under this grant may fall into one of the two priority response areas:

Development of Rapid, Innovative At-Home or Point-of-Care Testing Modalities: We aim to support testing innovations that are easier and quicker to perform and can be done by patients outside of a healthcare practitioner’s office.

  • Solutions that provide a low-cost, surveillance testing technology that can be deployed independently of CLIA approval or medical personnel oversight are encouraged. Solutions that cost less than $10 per test are of particular interest.
  • Solutions that will provide a low-cost test with greater than 75% sensitivity and ideally 95% specificity are encouraged.

Addressing Supply Chain Bottlenecks: Innovations or increased novel manufacturing capacity that can address the supply chain bottlenecks for existing platforms are encouraged to apply. The MLSC is aiming to support the development of novel technologies to address the lack of specialized plastic ware and development of generic reagents and supplies to allow labs across the Commonwealth to fully utilize and leverage their existing high throughput testing platforms. To the extent that applicants are proposing supply chain solutions to a closed system, which involves proprietary technology, applicants will need to demonstrate that they have taken into consideration the requirement for any necessary approvals from the manufacturer of the proprietary system.

An application may address a well-defined issue beyond the priority areas identified above must clearly articulate the positive impact on SARS-CoV-2 testing. Applicants are encouraged to provide solutions that significantly increase testing capacity across the Commonwealth.

Please see the RFP for full eligibility criteria.

We are no longer soliciting new applications for the A.C.T.S. program. We are working to evaluate funding availability and may reopen if additional funding is available.

Resources

RFP

A.C.T.S. Advisory Panel

Impact on the Ecosystem

To consider how we can return to everyday activities as safely as possible in the face of an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that we rapidly identify infected individuals. Curbing the pandemic relies on the implementation of Testing, Tracing, and Supported Isolation (TTSI) strategies.

Currently, the Commonwealth is largely dependent on PCR tests, which requires analysis of specimens in an offsite laboratory. The development of a low cost “at home” test or point of care test is critical to further scaling up rapid SARS-CoV-2 testing. Additionally, supply chain bottlenecks are emerging for molecular testing. A whitepaper from McKinsey and Company(1) identifies RNA extraction kit manufacturing and laboratory capacity as the main limiting factors to large-scale testing. In the short term, the authors encourage maximizing and expanding laboratory capacity and exploring alternative testing protocols for the longer term. Specifically, supply chain logistics around upstream sample collection and processing are limiting steps to the interoperability of sample processing. Increased universality of sample collection and processing can aid in the management of testing capacity. These represent significant challenges that need to be considered as novel tests and technologies are developed.

The need for more rapid, scalable tests, and solutions for addressing the supply chain logistics, especially in the cases of high-throughput machines with proprietary plastic ware and reagents, is critical as the Commonwealth considers how to continue to reopen as safely as possible.

(1) Behnam, Mohammad, et al. “COVID-19: Overcoming Supply Shortages for Diagnostic Testing.” McKinsey & Company, McKinsey & Company, 15 July 2020, www.mckinsey.com/industries/pharmaceuticals-and-medical-products/our-insights/covid-19-overcoming-supply-shortages-for-diagnostic-testing

Connect with us to Learn More

If you have any questions regarding the application process, e-mail: COVID@Masslifesciences.com.

Women’s Health Collaboration Program

Women’s Health Collaboration Program

Program Overview

The Women’s Health Collaboration Program is part of the MLSC’s Women’s Health Initiative. This program supports collaborative projects that aim to improve the discovery, technical innovation, and/or analysis of datasets to answer pressing life science questions around women’s health. It incentivizes translational projects that develop novel solutions to treat conditions that solely or disproportionately affect women or have a different presentation between genders.

Up to $5 million capital dollars are available for the current program round, with each award anticipated to be approximately $750,000 to support data generation and equipment at not-for-profit partners. 

The application period will run from Oct. 3, 2022 to Jan. 12, 2023 at 8 p.m. EST.

Eligibility & Evaluation

Project teams are to be comprised of not-for-profit applicants collaborating with at least one for-profit Massachusetts life science company. All not-for-profit applicants must be a Massachusetts legal entity such as an academic/research institution, a hospital engaged in research, a business incubator or accelerator, or other not-for-profit entity eligible for capital funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Institutions that are exclusively health care providers and/or requests for the purchase of equipment associated with standard healthcare delivery would not be eligible for capital funding.

To evaluate applications, an external panel of scientists from academia and industry with expertise in women’s health will review applications in the following categories:

  • Qualifications of the Team
  • Use of funds and value to the Massachusetts ecosystem
  • Proposed plan, including the following: unmet need/market opportunity, data generation and sharing (if applicable), scientist training, and approach to solving a key question in women’s health

Top applicants will be asked to present their proposed project plan to our review panel.

Please view the full list of eligibility requirements and evaluation process.

Resources

Post-award deliverables, confidentiality, and general conditions

Sample Application

Learn more about the Women’s Health Initiative

R.E.D.: Research Equipment Database

D.A.T.A. (Databases, Algorithms, Tools, and Analyses) Repository

Impact on the Ecosystem

Massachusetts recognizes there has been a lack of development in novel solutions to treat conditions that solely or disproportionately affect women or have a different presentation between genders. This impacts not only patients, but also employers and the healthcare system. The consequences are profound, with women more likely to have adverse drug reactions than men, and the lack of effective therapies results in reduced quality of life. The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center aims to support and incentivize translational project teams developing novel solutions in this area of need.

Learn more about the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Women’s Health awardees, including the principal investigator, industry partners, and the innovative projects.

Connect with us to Learn More

If you have any questions regarding the application process, e-mail: WomensHealth@Masslifesciences.com.

First Look Awards

First Look Awards

Program Overview

The First Look Awards are part of the MLSC’s Women’s Health Initiative. This program is a collaboration between the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) and the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), Harvard Medical School. The goal of this grant program is to support translational research at Massachusetts research institutions that furthers our understanding of sex and gender differences especially for diseases or conditions that affect women solely, disproportionately, or differentially.  The First Look Awards align with the Connors Center First.In.Women Precision Medicine Platform, which seeks to promote translational investigation to ensure that novel therapeutics are developed to optimize health for both women and men.

Up to $250,000 is available for the program, and we anticipate making five awards of up to $50,000 to Massachusetts-based women’s health researchers.

The application period will run from Oct. 3, 2022 to Jan. 12, 2023 at 8 p.m. EST.

Eligibility & Evaluation

Eligible applicants must be a full or part-time faculty at a Massachusetts-based research institution proposing an exploratory project to begin developing translatable solutions for women’s health and furthering our understanding of gender biology.

An external panel of scientists from academia and industry with expertise in women’s health will review applications. There may be a request to meet with our review panel. Those applications will receive a notification of that request.

Please see full list of eligibility requirements and evaluation process.

Resources

Sample Application

Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology

Deliverables, Confidentiality, and General Conditions

Learn more about the Women’s Health Initiative

R.E.D.: Research Equipment Database

D.A.T.A. (Databases, Algorithms, Tools, and Analyses) Repository

Impact on the Ecosystem

Massachusetts recognizes there has been a lack of development in novel solutions to treat conditions that affect women solely, disproportionately, or differently. This impacts not only patients but also employers and the healthcare system. The consequences are profound, with women more likely to have adverse drug reactions than men, and the lack of effective therapies results in reduced quality of life. The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center aims to support and incentivize translational project teams developing research towards the understanding of conditions and development of solutions in this area of need.

Learn more about 2022 First Look awardees, including the principal investigator and the innovative projects.

Connect with us to Learn More

If you have questions regarding the application process, e-mail: WomensHealth@masslifesciences.com with “First Look” in the subject line.

Project Onramp

Project Onramp

Program Overview

As part of an ongoing and strategic effort to support the development of a diverse workforce talent pipeline for the life sciences industry, the MLSC partnered with MassBio, MassBioEd, Life Science Cares, and Massachusetts Biomedical Initiatives (MBI) to launch Project Onramp. The program creates paid summer internships for Massachusetts college students who are under-resourced and often first-generation, helping to bridge the opportunity gap for these promising young people. Project Onramp also provides wraparound training and support for interns and their supervisors.

A primary Project Onramp partner is Bottom Line, a nationally acclaimed nonprofit that helps students from low-income backgrounds get into college and successfully graduate. Bottom Line provides our Life Science Scholars with one-on-one support every step of the way. Project Onramp also partners with Thrive Scholars and Minds Matter Boston, which are non-profits giving high-achieving, low-income students the opportunities they need to thrive at top colleges, and in meaningful careers.

Eligibility & Evaluation

Participating companies with 100 employees or fewer are eligible to apply for reimbursement of up to $9,600 per intern (up to two) through the MLSC Internship Challenge.

Resources

Project Onramp Website

Sponsor an Intern

Impact on the Ecosystem

Diversity is key to our state’s competitiveness and the MLSC is proud to work alongside the industry to ensure the sciences become more inclusive. Project Onramp is breaking down barriers and facilitating students on a pathway to success—while helping life sciences companies build a more diverse talent pipeline for the growing needs of the industry. These internship opportunities serve as a stepping-stone to a rewarding career for a talent pool that has typically had difficulty gaining access to the life science industry. The program will give the students – many of them the first in their families to attend college – hands-on experience and a valuable start towards a career in biotechnology. It will also help growing Massachusetts life sciences companies fill the  positions anticipated across the industry. In its first four years, the program facilitated 390 internships with more than 100 different companies.

Connect with us to Learn More

If you have any questions, please email Ruby Kim, Project Onramp Manager with Life Sciences Cares, at Ruby@lifesciencecares.org.

Research Infrastructure Program

Research Infrastructure Program

Program Overview

The design of the Research Infrastructure program (formerly known as the Open or Competitive Capital Program) is to provide grants for capital projects that support the life sciences ecosystem in Massachusetts by enabling and supporting life sciences research and development in the Commonwealth.

Up to $10 million in capital dollars is available to support capital projects ranging from $1.5 – $5 million across the state for not-for-profit partners. Applicants will have to demonstrate how the requested infrastructure will benefit the entire life sciences ecosystem in Massachusetts.

The application period will run from August 15, 2022 – November 18, 2022 at 8 p.m. EST.

Eligibility & Evaluation

Applicants must be a Massachusetts legally organized “not-for-profit” entity such as an academic/research institution, a hospital engaged in research, business incubator or accelerator, or other not-for-profit entity that would be eligible for capital funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Institutions that are exclusively health care providers and/or requests for the purchase of equipment associated with standard healthcare would not be eligible for capital funding.

Eligible applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Applicants must be requesting funding for life sciences “infrastructure” defined as: “advanced and applied sciences that expand the understanding of human physiology and have the potential to lead to medical advances or therapeutic applications” according to the Massachusetts General Laws (MGL), chapter 23I, section 2.
  • The MLSC anticipates each award to provide $1.5 – $5 million in funds to the eligible applicant.  The MLSC expects to invest up to $10 million through this Research Infrastructure Program.
  • The MLSC envisions recipients receiving a grant under this program identify and raise additional funds for the proposed project that leverages the MLSC funding. Applicants that have succeeded in attracting significant additional funds will benefit during the review process.
  • Applicants will have to demonstrate how the requested infrastructure will benefit the entire life sciences ecosystem in Massachusetts.

Submission of applications must be via online. The MLSC staff will conduct an initial screen and then submit to experts for review. Applicants may receive invitations to present their proposals to address questions or provide clarification. The MLSC will provide final recommendations to its Board of Directors for approval.

Please view the full list of eligibility requirements and evaluation process.

Resources

Post-award deliverables, confidentiality, and general conditions

Sample Application – Incubators or Accelerators

Sample Application – Research Institutions or Academic Medical Centers

R.E.D.: Research Equipment Database

D.A.T.A. (Databases, Algorithms, Tools, and Analyses) Repository

Impact on the Ecosystem

Massachusetts recognizes that investment in capital projects and infrastructure is required to create and sustain the attributes that make Massachusetts attractive to innovation clusters.  To date, the MLSC has awarded or committed more than $504 million to support capital projects across the state.  This includes projects designated for funding in the Life Sciences Initiative, and projects funded through the MLSC’s capital programs.

Learn more about the 2021, and 2022 Research Infrastructure awardees.

Connect with us to Learn More

If you have any questions regarding the application process, e-mail: ResearchInfrastructure@masslifesciences.com.

Novel Therapeutics Delivery

Novel Therapeutics Delivery

Program Overview

The Novel Therapeutics Delivery program aims to foster the development of novel technologies and techniques for the delivery of existing or innovative therapies by working at the intersection of engineering, biology, chemistry, and medicine. Specifically, it strives to capitalize and incentivize translational projects to address complex challenges in “therapeutic” delivery – from biomanufacturing, to targeted delivery, to biomaterials and more.

Up to $5 million capital dollars are available for the current program round, with each award anticipated to be up to $750,000 to support work and equipment at not-for-profit partners.

The application period will run from August 15, 2022 – November 18, 2022 at 8 p.m. EST.

Eligibility & Evaluation

Eligibility criteria include multiple factors, such as applicants must be a Massachusetts legally organized “not-for-profit” entity such as an academic/research institution, a hospital engaged in research, business incubator or accelerator, or other not-for-profit entity that would be eligible for capital funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Institutions that are exclusively health care providers and/or requests for the purchase of equipment associated with standard healthcare delivery would not be eligible for capital funding.

To evaluate an external panel of scientists from academia and industry with expertise in delivery/development of therapeutics and clinical care will review them based on the following criteria:

  • Qualifications of the Team
  • Use of funds and value to the MA ecosystem
  • Proposed plan, unmet need/market opportunity, data generation and sharing (if applicable), scientist training, and approach to solving a key question.

Top applicants will be asked to present their proposed project plan to our review panel.

Please view the full list of eligibility requirements and evaluation process.

Resources

Post-award deliverables, confidentiality, and general conditions

Sample Application

R.E.D.: Research Equipment Database

D.A.T.A. (Databases, Algorithms, Tools, and Analyses) Repository

Impact on the Ecosystem

Innovative new therapies are dependent on advancements in drug delivery. Increased drug complexity, the rise of biopharmaceuticals, novel therapeutic technologies, bioavailability challenges, and the demand for the demonstration of strong drug performance are all driving unprecedented technology innovation; however, the availability of such therapies is not accelerating at the rate with which technology is advancing. Existing therapies can also benefit from improved delivery methods and devices, increasing patient compliance and improving overall health.

Learn more about the 2020, 2021, and 2022 Novel Therapeutics Delivery awardees, including the principal investigator, industry partners, and the innovative projects.

Connect with us to Learn More

If you have any questions regarding the application process, e-mail: DrugDelivery@Masslifesciences.com.

NIIMBL

NIIMBL

Program Overview

The MLSC is not an available source of cost-sharing for NIIMBL Project Call 5.1. Please reach out to NIIMBLMA@masslifesciences.com with any questions.

The MLSC has partnered with the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) to accelerate biopharmaceutical manufacturing innovation, support the development of standards that enable more efficient and rapid manufacturing capabilities, and educate and train a world-leading biopharmaceutical manufacturing workforce, fundamentally advancing U.S. competitiveness in this industry.

NIIMBL member-organizations will have the opportunity to collaborate with industry, academia, state and federal agencies, and non-profit organizations to develop methods, tools and educational programs to drive efficient, effective and safe manufacturing standards and best practices. Your organization will not only have input and involvement on NIIMBL projects, but benefit from the shared knowledge of its partners as well. Through these partnerships and potential to cost-share projects, NIIMBL members are able to shape the direction of research and provide expertise in diverse areas of biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

Eligibility & Evaluation

NIIMBL Project Call 4.1

Project Call 4.1 will occur in two phases: a Concept stage followed by invitations to a subset of teams to submit Full Proposals. Concept Paper submissions are expected to be due on October 22, 2020. Concept submissions will include a short PowerPoint slide deck with pre-recorded voiceover, in addition to a short written concept paper.  Invitations to Full Proposals are anticipated to be made around December 1, 2020. The deadline for Full Proposal submission is anticipated to be in Q1 2021. Additional details regarding Concept Papers and Full Proposals will be provided in the RFP. Download the Project Call 4.1 Technology, Workforce, and Global Health RFPs below:

Technology: Project Call 4.1T
Workforce: Project Call 4.1W
Global Health Fund: Project Call 4.1G

When submitting for a Project Call, teams with a Massachusetts-based, not-for-profit academic institution partner will be eligible to request supplemental cost sharing from the Center. MA non-profit applicants requesting MLSC cost-share will need to reach out as soon as they have been invited to submit a full proposal, and will be required to submit their complete application the week of Jan 4, 2021 for review. Select MA non-profit applicants will also be asked to present their proposals to a panel of experts. Reimbursement of funds will be provided to the Massachusetts-based academic institution for capital expenses only. The MLSC will not reimburse membership fees and other costs that are not related to equipment or construction.

Each NIIMBL Project Call will specify a deadline to provide their proposal to the MLSC in as complete of form as possible. Upon administrative review, the Center will invite the applicant to present to a panel of biomanufacturing experts. Applicants will provide a brief presentation, followed by questions from the review panel. The MLSC will provide feedback to make any changes necessary to the NIIMBL proposal to receive MLSC cost-share support. Ahead of the Project Call submission deadline, the agency will coordinate with the Project Manager to complete a Cover Sheet and provide a letter of support from our President and CEO. NIIMBL will then notify the applicant of the organization’s decision to fund the proposal.

Please note: NIIMBL approved proposals are subject to a final vote before the MLSC’s Board of Directors.

As a NIIMBL Member, you will benefit from:

Committee Seats – NIIMBL technology, workforce, and regulatory agendas are driven and shaped by the Technical Activities Committee (TAC), Workforce Activities Committee (WAC) and Regulatory Considerations Committee (RCC). Your membership may grant your organization seats on these committees. Your participation on these committees gives you a voice in shaping the technology, workforce and regulatory agendas.

Shared IP – Depending on your membership level, your organization will have access to IP developed through this initiative.

Projects – Participate in NIIMBL project calls. Your organization will have the opportunity to partner with other NIIMBL members to propose and contribute to Institute-funded projects.

Networking Opportunities – Collaboration with other members will allow you to share resources and ideas across industry sectors.

Resources

National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) Website.
Technology: Project Call 4.1T
Workforce: Project Call 4.1W
Global Health Fund: Project Call 4.1G

Impact on the Ecosystem

In 2016, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center announced its partnership in the nation’s first biomanufacturing innovation institute, known as the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL). The MLSC committed up to $20 million for five years as an anchor to the northeastern node for the biopharmaceutical manufacturing project. A consortium of small, medium and large biopharmaceutical industry partners from regionally leads the NIIMBL project across the supply chain, along with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Quincy College, UMass Lowell, UMass Medical School, and the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). 

Since 2016, the MLSC has committed more than $21 million to leverage continued investment to accelerate biomanufacturing innovation, support the development of standards that enable more efficient and rapid manufacturing capabilities, and educate and train a world-leading manufacturing workforce.

Connect with us to Learn More

The MLSC is not an available source of cost-sharing for NIIMBL Project Call 5.1. Please reach out to NIIMBLMA@masslifesciences.com with any questions.

Stay ahead of what’s next.

Sign up for our newsletter.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy