Skip to content
Massachusetts Next Generation Initiative

Massachusetts Next Generation Initiative

Hero Swoop Purple 01

Massachusetts Next Generation Initiative

The MLSC is committed to a life sciences ecosystem that is diverse, inclusive, and equitable for all members of this industry. To ensure we continue to shift the paradigm, the Massachusetts Next Generation (MassNextGen) Initiative has expanded to support a larger and more diverse pool of entrepreneurs.

Awardees of the program will receive a year-long customized package of support, which includes non-dilutive grant funding, lab bench at a sponsoring incubator, and access to a network of seasoned professionals from the life sciences ecosystem helping them to refine their business strategies and effectively raise capital. In addition, awardees will highlight their company to sponsors, awardees, and representatives of venture capital firms at the end of the program year in a “showcase” event to promote relationship building.
Lavender CellSplit 01 scaled

The application period will run from March 17 - June 13, 2025 at 1 p.m. EST.

Group Photo - Mass Next Gen

MassNextGen Expanded Applicant Pool

In addition to supporting female entrepreneurs, the MLSC welcomes applications from individuals identifying as:

This does not serve as an exhaustive list, as there are many others that would qualify for inclusion in MassNextGen.

Awardees & Coaches

Learn more about the MassNextGen awardees and their company.

Learn about the life science experts guiding the MassNextGen entrepreneurs.

Eligibility and Requirements

How to Apply:

Applicants must first create an account in our application portal and submit an application.

Upcoming Info Sessions

Sponsors

Increasing the number of successful entrepreneurs is in the best interest of the entire life science industry, and as such, this initiative is a public-private partnership between the MLSC and our corporate sponsors.

In 2018, Takeda became MassNextGen’s Anchor Platinum Sponsor as the first private partner to invest in the program. Their leadership and unwavering support to foster a more inclusive and diverse ecosystem continues with their commitment for this next chapter of MassNextGen.

Change Sponsors

Learn more about the MassNextGen sponsors and how your company can join the movement.

Impact on the Ecosystem

In 2018, MassNextGen launched with one goal in mind, to shift the paradigm to build a diverse ecosystem with equal representation. With the support from sponsors like Takeda, King Street Properties, Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Mintz, Mission BioCapital, and LabCentral Ignite, MassNextGen launched as a five year commitment to ensure greater gender parity in the next generation of life science entrepreneurs.

In the first six years, the MLSC deployed more than $2.5 million in funding to women entrepreneurs and provided over 200 hours of coaching from the elite executive mentoring/coaching network.

Now with 35 companies in the MassNextGen portfolio, the MLSC funding combined with executive coaching and business mentorship have proven invaluable for these underrepresented entrepreneurs in building their teams and progressing forward with new opportunities. The program continues to see tremendous success from previous awardees, including:

0 Companies

have raised a seed or series A financing round

cell wall corner variation top right corner 03 02

Companies employ

0
Employment Icon - Briefcase with Paperwork and Pencil

additional people

Icon for Investing

Companies raised nearly

$ 0 Million

in follow-on funding

0 Applications

from women led companies have been reviewed by sponsoring organizations

Over

0

coaching sessions

Business Front Door Logo
Team Massachusetts is excited to connect you with the latest and most relevant resources available for businesses. We’re here to support you every step of the way as your company grows. Through the Business Front Door, we can make your business journey in Massachusetts a successful one.

Connect with us to learn more

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

Other Programs

Solid Swoop 01 scaled 1

Hear from the Heart of the Hub

Sign up for The Beat our weekly newsletter.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Neuroscience Consortium

Neuroscience Consortium

Program Overview

The Neuroscience Consortium funds pre-clinical neuroscience research at Massachusetts academic and research institutions. The MLSC in collaboration with Alzheimer Disease Research Center at Massachusetts General Hospital brings together company partners with researchers focused on understanding Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative diseases to further research and collaboration in the space. Companies that have participated in the Consortium include AbbVie, Biogen, Celgene, General Electric, Lundbeck, Merck, Novartis, and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals (Consortium Members). Nearly $10 million has been committed by consortium members to fund research through this program.

Eligibility & Evaluation

The consortium thrives off both commitments from biotech companies and applications for innovative translational research. Every year Consortium Members pool their resources to fund the identification and validation of novel targets for the symptomatic treatment and modification of these chronic and debilitating neurological diseases. It is required all proposals be anchored in recognized human disease genetics and pathophysiology, or within pathways of known relevance to human disease, and should be translational, rather than exploratory. Examples of such proposals might include research that:

  • Confirms or refutes the involvement of a particular pathway or mechanism in human disease;
  • Identifies new molecular targets, or strengthens the case for a potential target, or rules out a suspected target;
  • Establishes new and improved animal models of human disease in the identified focus areas, with established face and/or construct validity;
  • Develops a method for manipulating or measuring a pathway of known human pathological relevance; or
  • Identifies or validates a biomarker than can be used for drug discovery and/or development.

Applications for the current round of funding are extended to Friday, June 21, 2024. Please submit your application to Dr. Brad Hyman, BHyman@mgh.harvard.edu, and Dr. Mark Albers, Albers.Mark@mgh.harvard.edu, with the subject line “Neuroscience Consortium 13 Application”. The current application can be found here.

Companies that are interested in becoming a Consortium Members should contact MLSC staff to discuss further. Please contact neuroscience@masslifesciences.com.

Impact on the Ecosystem

Launched in 2013, the consortium originally adopted a broad interest in neurological diseases with a focus on neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases. Following multiple rounds of proposals, a collective focus on Alzheimer’s Disease emerged and now the consortium spends its time and effort on understanding and developing novel solutions for AD. Since inception, the program has garnered nearly $10 million in industry commitments and funded the work of 30 Principal Investigators in Massachusetts. 

Through the work of this program, public resources for neuroscience and Alzheimer’s researchers have been generated. More information on these resources can be found here:

Alzheimer DataLENS provides information on hypothesis-driven and data driven research, allowing neuroscientists to share, browse and visualize comprehensive results from bioinformatics analysis of public omics datasets. It also serves as a tool to organize and share results from MassCATS investigations.

Connect with us to Learn More

Our team is happy to discuss either joining the consortium as a company Consortium Member or applying as a Massachusetts-based researcher. To connect with MLSC staff, please contact neuroscience@masslifesciences.com.  

MLSC Brandmark scaled 1

Hear from the Heart of the Hub