The University of Maryland Baltimore Life Science Accelerator (UM-BILD), which launched in fall 2023 with the support of a $4 million REACH grant, has successfully closed its first round of funding applications. Applicants are eligible for up to $75,000 in seed investment and development resources to support the translation of basic science research projects into commercial products that will advance patient care. 

In the first stage, more than 40 Letters of Intent (LOIs) were submitted, resulting in about a dozen new invention disclosures to UMB’s Office of Technology Transfer (OTT). Out of those, 11 projects were accepted to proceed with a full application. The selected project teams will work with commercial consultants, UM-BILD representatives, and UM Ventures, Baltimore staff to finalize their applications before submission to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Once submitted to the NIH, the final applications will undergo scoring and review by an external review board as well as a federal technological guidance committee with input from the NIH, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and CMS. Notification of awards and funding is anticipated in September 2024.

Jason Rose, MD, MBA, lead principal investigator and executive director for UM-BILD stated, “I am thrilled by the number of applications we received for this initial UM-BILD REACH grant cycle. It is truly representative of the amazing research and innovation our investigators are doing day in and day out around UMB and Baltimore.”

Phil Robilotto, DO, managing director for UM-BILD added, “I am incredibly thankful for the tremendous effort and coordination by the core UM-BILD administrative team, UMB’s OTT staff, the UM Ventures, Baltimore team, all of our applicants, and the REACH grant leadership. It was really terrific to see so many applications and such a high level of interest in the program.”

Dr. Rose, who is also the associate dean for innovation and physician science development at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director of faculty entrepreneurship in the UMB Office of Research and Development, summarized this successful first cycle, “We appreciate all the energy, participation, and excitement from the UMB community to be part of the new UM-BILD technology development accelerator program and look forward to supporting future applications through the process.”

UM-BILD is supported by a $4 million Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub (REACH) grant from the NIH; it is one of only five REACH hubs across the U.S. The grant was awarded to UMB (the lead institution) and its partner, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. UM-BILD is focused on advancing the biomedical entrepreneurship and innovation economy in West Baltimore and Greater Baltimore and increasing biomedical workforce and startup workforce diversity.

UM-BILD will support two application cycles each year for four years, so there are multiple opportunities for promising UMB projects to reapply if they are not initially funded – and for new teams to make an initial application.

The second round of applications for the UM-BILD Accelerator is anticipated to open in late summer 2024. Watch Elm Weekly for an announcement about the exact dates, or check the UM-BILD website for updates.

For questions, please reach out to the UM-BILD team at [email protected].