The Kentucky Network for Innovation & Commercialization (KYNETIC) has named the 10 finalists selected for its fall cohort.
The grant program will award six projects with about $33,000 each, and some of the finalists will be eligible to compete again for renewals to earn up to $200,000 per technology. The selected teams represent biomedical innovation across the state and will use the KYNETIC funding for proof-of-concept/product definition studies.
The nominated team leaders and their institutions include:
- Dr. Scott Berry, University of Kentucky
- Dr. Daniel Boamah, Western Kentucky University
- Dr. Jamie Fredericks, Eastern Kentucky University
- Dr. Mark Fritz, University of Kentucky
- Dr. Jill Kolesar, University of Kentucky
- Dr. Cheri Levinson, University of Louisville
- Dr. Keith Pennypacker, University of Kentucky
- Dr. Christina Ralph-Nearman, University of Louisville
- Dr. Rachel Tinius, Western Kentucky University
- Dr. Stuart Williams, University of Louisville
Each team has advanced through a competitive pre-application process, which garnered 32 proposals this cycle and included review and scoring by an internal advisory committee of experienced stakeholders and specialists, according to a news release.
The next step of the competition will require the nominated teams to submit a full proposal and make a pitch to the KYNETIC External Review Board of academic and industry experts. KYNETIC will refer the board’s recommendations directly to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for final review and consideration by the Technology Guidance Committee.
The KYNETIC translational research grant program supports faculty, staff, trainees and students to accelerate the introduction of their groundbreaking innovations to the healthcare marketplace. KYNETIC is funded through the NIH Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub (REACH) program, with funding jointly provided by the NIH, the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville.
“We encourage Kentucky innovators to apply for these opportunities that KYNETIC provides, which can be helpful to take their discoveries with economic and public interest impact to commercialization, augment startup development, win future grants, and as evidence for tenure and promotion,” said Linda Dwoskin, PhD, KYNETIC Contact PI, in the release. “These KYNETIC nominees demonstrate the quality and variety of life-saving technologies and solutions that are being developed in our state.”
In a statewide effort, the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Kentucky Commercialization Ventures, and the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development lead the KYNETIC program to provide this proof-of-concept funding opportunity to all of Kentucky’s public institutions of higher education. To date, KYNETIC has provided more than $1 million in non-dilutive funding to support development of 12 promising biomedical technologies across the state.
In addition to offering an inclusive, non-dilutive investment pathway, KYNETIC provides each nominee with direct access to coaching and educational programming in preparation for next steps in the competition as well as a commercialization pathway.
For more information on KYNETIC, click here.
