Representatives of the NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) will be in North Brunswick for a morning seminar providing an overview their SBIR/STTR programs and how to get funding. The seminar will be held at the NJEDA Commercialization Center for Innovative Technologies, from 8:30 am to 12:15 pm. NCI and NIAID are the two largest among NIH’s approximately 24 grant awarding Institutes and Centers, each of which has a different health related mission.
The seminar will also include instruction on how to search for suitable grant opportunities and an introduction to proposal writing. It will be followed by a networking lunch and 1-to-1 appointments with the institute representatives in the afternoon, to discuss where attendees’ technologies may be a fit within their respective institutes, or elsewhere within NIH. America’s Small Business Development Centers – New Jersey headquartered at Rutgers Business School and Eisner Amper LLP are sponsoring the event.
The program will also feature a presentation by Dr. Benjamin Belinka, President and CEO, Actinobac Biomed, Inc. Actinobac is a biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for multiple indications, including blood cancers, autoimmune/inflammatory diseases, and HIV. The company’s drug candidates are based upon Leukothera® (LtxA), a natural protein that targets and eliminates white blood cells (WBCs) involved in the mechanism of many diseases. Products based upon Leukothera® are being developed by Actinobac for the treatment of leukemia/lymphoma, dry eye, and psoriasis. Dr. Belinka will talk about Actinobac and how SBIR is helping the company grow its business.
SBIR and STTR are the best sources of early stage risk capital for developing a promising new technology and are the closest thing to the entrepreneur’s “holy grail” of free money. In two competitive Phases over three to four years, entrepreneurs can receive up to $1,150,000 and sometimes more. There is approximately two billion dollars available for the program annually across the 11 participating federal agencies. By enabling companies to begin developing their technology and reduce its risk, SBIR and STTR funding can serve as a pathway to angel and venture financing.
Visit www.njsbdc.com/sbir for more information.
