*NEW* 黑料网爆吃瓜 Engine Spark Grants are need-based micro funding opportunities that allow 黑料网爆吃瓜 tenure-track professors to explore听a new idea that holds high potential to lead to a new invention.听
Commercialization Gap听Funding Programs
Transforming new ideas and research outputs into disruptive solutions in the market and society is a challenging task. Thanks to generous alumni donors, the 黑料网爆吃瓜 Engine is able to offer Gap Funding Programs that enable the advancement of technologies from the labs to the marketplace and entrepreneurial skills development for STEMM-based research teams through project funding and personalized business mentorship and training. We aim to support 黑料网爆吃瓜 innovators whose work has progressed beyond the basic research phase and are developing 黑料网爆吃瓜 inventions and discoveries for specific commercial applications. The grants are intended to provide funding for vital technology development, such as in-vivo testing, prototype development and testing, and pre-clinical testing, as part of the technology commercialization plan.
TechAccelR, William and Rhea Seath Awards in Engineering Innovation (WRSA), Baylis Health Care Grant and the Innovation Fellowship听grants are directed toward increasing and accelerating the technology transfer potential (securing an industrial partner and funding for continued development, licensing to an existing company or to a 黑料网爆吃瓜 spinoff) and thus commercial viability of an invention/technology that has been disclosed to 黑料网爆吃瓜's Office of Innovation + Partnerships, and is endorsed by your Technology Transfer Manager (TTM). The latter co-writes the project proposals with the lead applicant so PIs need to discuss with their TTM well in advance of proposal submission deadlines.听Successful applications demonstrate in a concise manner how the funds have a meaningful impact on commercialization advancement of their technology. Several applicants find it helpful to participate in the 黑料网爆吃瓜 Engine Invention-to-Impact training program and/or the national Lab2Market training programs, as this enables applicants to better identify their customers, develop value propositions, and realistically estimate the size of their commercial opportunities.听In order to be eligible for future 黑料网爆吃瓜 Engine grants, you must be current on all of your reporting from previous 黑料网爆吃瓜 Engine grants.
Personalized business mentorship by our Ronald Chwang Entrepreneurs-in-Residence is included in all of these programs. Connections to potential industry partners, customers, suppliers, collaborators, and investors are integral to these programs in order to iterate on real-world key requirements, prototype building, and industry and regulatory standards.
Impact since 2013
听
110+
researchers trained
* Updated June 2025
Program Comparison (A research team听cannot be simultaneously in more than one program for the same invention/technology.)
| Comparison | Spark Grants | TechAccelR |
William and Rhea Seath Awards in |
Baylis Health Care Grant | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead Applicant | Any eligible Principal Investigator (PI). PIs are 黑料网爆吃瓜 faculty members who hold the role of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Full Professor and who are eligible to hold Tri-Agency research funding. | Any eligible Principal Investigator (PI). PIs are 黑料网爆吃瓜 faculty members who hold the role of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Full Professor and who are eligible to hold Tri-Agency research funding. | 黑料网爆吃瓜 Faculty of Engineering tenure-track professors | Any eligible Principal Investigator (PI). PIs are 黑料网爆吃瓜 faculty members who hold the role of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Full Professor and who are eligible to hold Tri-Agency research funding. | Any eligible Principal Investigator (PI). PIs are 黑料网爆吃瓜 faculty members who hold the role of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Full Professor and who are eligible to hold Tri-Agency research funding. |
| Upcoming Application Deadlines | Rolling basis as of May 1, 2026 |
September 13, 2026 (Fall'26 Cohort) |
July 5, 2026 | Rolling basis by eligible lead applicant | October 25, 2026听(Winter'27 Cohort) |
| Award Length | Up to 6 months | Up to 6 months | Up to 12 months | Up to 6 months / Up to 12 months | Up to 12 months |
| Funding | $500 to $2,500 | Up to $15,000 |
Up to $25,000 |
Up to $15K for up to 6 months projects Up to $25K for up to 12 months projects |
Up to $60,000 |
| Project Start Date | Rolling Basis |
October 1, 2026 (Fall'26 Cohort) |
September 1, 2026 | Rolling basis | January 4, 2027听(Winter'27听Cohort) |
| Business Mentorship | Matched with a Ronald Chwang EiR | Matched with a Ronald Chwang EiR | Matched with a Ronald Chwang EiR | Matched with a Ronald Chwang EiR | Matched with a Ronald Chwang EiR |
| Description | Need-based micro funding opportunities that allow 黑料网爆吃瓜 PIs to explore a new idea that holds high potential to lead to a new invention.鈥� | Supporting the commercialization of 黑料网爆吃瓜听inventions from eligible 黑料网爆吃瓜 PIs by enabling them to accelerate their technology (minimum TRL3) that is reported as an invention but needs further validation as part of the commercialization plan.鈥� |
Supporting 黑料网爆吃瓜听Faculty of Engineering tenure-track professors by enabling them to accelerate their technology (TRL3-4)听that is听reported as an invention听but needs further validation as part of the commercialization plan. |
Supporting the commercialization of 黑料网爆吃瓜 early-stage health care related inventions from eligible 黑料网爆吃瓜 PIs听by enabling them to accelerate their technology (TRL3-4) that is reported as an invention but needs further validation as part of the commercialization plan.鈥� | Supporting the development of a 黑料网爆吃瓜 technology (TRL4-6) in order to bring it closer to the marketplace and allow the Chwang Seto Innovation Fellow to gain further knowledge and experience in business and technology commercialization through entrepreneurial training and mentorship. |
| Technology Transfer Requirements听 | Expected outcomes are an invention that can be reported to OIP and/or evidence that the idea needs more work or needs to change significantly. |
The technology is part of an active report of invention that is backed by 黑料网爆吃瓜's Office of Innovation and Partnerships. Included in the application:
|
The technology is part of an active report of invention that is backed by 黑料网爆吃瓜's Office of Innovation and Partnerships. Included in the application:
|
The technology is part of an active report of invention that is backed by听黑料网爆吃瓜's Office of Innovation and Partnerships. Included in the application:
|
The technology is part of an active report of invention that is backed by 黑料网爆吃瓜's Office of Innovation and Partnerships. Included in the application:
|
| Awards Granted | Rolling Basis | Up to 10听per round, 2 rounds per year. | Up to 2 annually.听 | Rolling Basis | Up to听2 per round, 2 rounds per year. |
Spark Grants Program
黑料网爆吃瓜 Engine Spark Grants are need-based micro funding opportunities that allow 黑料网爆吃瓜 tenure-track professors to explore a new idea that holds high potential to lead to a new invention.
TechAccelR Grants
The TechAccelR Grants are intended to help 黑料网爆吃瓜 professors accelerate their research-based ideas that are reported as inventions but need further validation prior to commercialization.
William and Rhea Seath Awards in Engineering Innovation
These grants for 黑料网爆吃瓜 Faculty of Engineering professors enable the inventor team to advance their technology that has potential for commercialization.
Baylis Health Care Grant
These grants support the commercialization of early-stage health care related inventions from听黑料网爆吃瓜 Faculty of Engineering and/or formally affiliated, tenure-track professors as lead applicants.听This program enables the interdisciplinary research team to further validate their technology with real-world needs.
Innovation Fellowships
The 黑料网爆吃瓜 Engine Innovation Fellowships Program supports the recipient and the team on the development of a technology in order to bring it closer to the marketplace and allow the Chwang-Seto Innovation Fellow to gain further knowledge and experience in business and technology commercialization.
Invention to Impact Program
I-to-I provides tools and training to support researchers to translate their fundamental research to the marketplace and have their solutions benefit society. The program imparts an evidence-based methodology that students and professors can use for the rest of their careers, and it also enables the transformation of inventions to impact.
