Small Business Resources: Webinars

Entrepreneurial and Product Development Support for Academic and Small Business Innovators

Date: August 30, 2023

Description: Learn about funding opportunities and resources available to small business entrepreneurs interested in bringing innovative products and companies to the market. Speakers from NCATS, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) will talk about SBIR and STTR funding program structures, eligibility, resources and best practices, as well as key research priority areas for each Institute. They are joined by Wisconsin’s Center for Technology Commercialization and BioForward’s Women in Biohealth, who will speak about their programs to support entrepreneurs in Wisconsin and Midwest region who are looking to commercialize their innovations.

Featured Speakers:

• Meena U. Rajagopal, Ph.D., Program Officer, Office of Strategic Alliances, NCATS, NIH
• Stephanie Davis, Ph.D., Small Business Program Coordinator, NHLBI, NIH
• Joshua Hooks, Ph.D., AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow, Office of Strategic Extramural Programs, NIA, NIH
• Saroj Regmi, Ph.D., Program Director, SBIR Development Center, NCI, NIH
• Margaret Ramey, Interim Director, Wisconsin Center for Technology Commercialization
• April Hughes, Senior HR Business Partner, Women in Biohealth, BioForward Wisconsin

Watch the webinar on YouTube (video length: 1:39:15) 

A version of this webinar with audio description is available (video length: 1:48:14)

Read a transcript of the event (PDF - 255KB) 

Download the presentation slides (PDF - 6MB)

Leverage SBIR/STTR Funding and Other Resources to Create a Diverse Workforce in Science and Technology

Date: June 23, 2022

Description: Learn about the funding opportunities and resources available to small business entrepreneurs in the field of translational sciences in the Southwest IDeA States Region. Speakers from NCATS and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) talk about the SBIR and STTR funding program structure, eligibility, resources and best practices and answer attendee questions. They are joined by leaders of the XLerator Network and XLerateHealth program, which offer multiple programs to help prepare and support researchers looking to commercialize their innovations, including programs specially designed for those coming from historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and women-owned businesses.

Featured Speakers:

• Meena U. Rajagopal, Ph.D., Program Officer, Office of Strategic Alliances, NCATS, NIH
• Stephanie Davis, Ph.D., Small Business Program Coordinator, NHLBI, NIH
• Eugene Krentsel, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President – Strategic Partnerships and Alliances, XLerateHealth
• Almesha L. Campbell, Ph.D., Assistant Vice President for Research and Economic Development, Jackson State University

Watch the webinar on YouTube (video length: 1:18:57)

A version of this webinar with audio description is available (video length: 1:18:58)

Read a transcript of the event (PDF - 246KB)

Download the presentation slides (PDF - 5MB)

Peer Review for Small Business Funding: An Overview of the Process

Date: Feb. 24, 2022

Description: The rigorous peer review process for small business funding is a critical component of the selection process, which many awardees later leverage to attract additional funders and collaborators. Because it evaluates both the science and the business proposal, it differs from traditional peer reviews, from who sits on the panel to what they look for in an application. In this webinar, Allen Richon, Ph.D., a Scientific Review Officer in the NIH Center for Scientific Review explains the review process, shares what reviewers look for in an SBIR/STTR application, and answers applicant questions.

Featured Speakers:

• Allen Richon, Ph.D., Scientific Review Officer and SBIR/STTR Review Coordinator, NIH Center for Scientific Review
• Meena U. Rajagopal, Ph.D., Program Officer, Office of Strategic Alliances at NCATS

Watch the webinar on YouTube (video length: 1:16:40)

A version of this webinar with audio description is available (video length: 1:24:43)

Read a transcript of the event (PDF - 255KB)

Download the presentation slides (PDF - 2.6MB)

A Decade of Innovation: How NCATS Is Impacting Translational Science through Small Business Growth

Date: Dec. 8, 2021 

Description: For ten years, NCATS has worked with researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs, patients and other stakeholders to design new approaches and technologies that ultimately will deliver more treatments to more people more quickly. To mark this milestone, NCATS invited leaders from three companies who used the SBIR and STTR program funding and resources to develop transformative innovations in translational science. Hear about their innovations, their inspirations, and the lessons they have learned while building their businesses, Recursion Pharmaceuticals, Intabio and GoDX. The stories shared here by researchers and others are about what they do, what inspires their work and why they find translational science exciting. 

Featured Speakers:

• Lili M. Portilla, M.P.A., Director, Office of Strategic Alliances at NCATS
• Chris Gibson, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO, Recursion Pharmaceuticals
• Lena Wu, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Former CEO and President, Intabio, Inc.
• Chang Hee Kim, Ph.D., CEO, GoDx, Inc.

Note: If you would like an MP4 file of the webinar, please email us.

Watch the webinar on YouTube (video length: 1:08:52)

A version of this webinar with audio description is available (video length: 1:13:09)

Read a transcript of the event (PDF - 251KB)

Download the presentation slides (PDF - 1.8MB)

NCATS SBIR/STTR Presents: Essential Intellectual Property Advice for Small Business Commercialization Featuring USPTO Patent Application & Examination Processes 

Date: Jan. 29, 2020 

Co-Host: United States Patent and Trademark Office 

Description: NCATS welcomes Ram Shukla, Ph.D., from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to present on the processes for protecting a small business’ intellectual property, the role the USPTO plays in the patenting process, and the patent and trademarking resources available to the small business community. The program includes a brief overview of the NCATS SBIR and STTR program and research interests as well. 

Q&A (begins at 1:00:05): Shukla answers audience questions on what can and cannot be patented; the differences between patents, trademarks and trade secrets; the difference between “obvious” and “non-obvious” in patent law; reviving “abandoned” patent applications; and working with patent examiners. 

Note: An audio described version of the webinar will be made available upon request. 

Watch the webinar on YouTube (video length: 1:17:09)

Read a transcript of the event (PDF - 266KB)

Download the presentation slides (PDF - 3.1MB)

NCATS Small Business Funding: Early-Stage Support to Commercialize Your Translational Science Innovation 

Date: Jan. 23, 2020 

Co-Host: Georgia Bio 

Description: Learn about the structure and application process for the NCATS SBIR and STTR funding program, as well as tips for developing a successful application, specific small business research interests, examples of grantee successes, and helpful resources to further support commercialization efforts. 

Q&A (begins at 48:46): Lili Portilla, M.P.A., director of the NCATS Office of Strategic Alliances, answers questions on eligibility requirements, including acceptable business structures and partnerships; determining the right funding mechanism to apply through; resources such as the I-Corps™ at NIH program, BrIDGs and TRND; and specific research interests. 

Note: An audio described version of the webinar will be made available upon request. 

Watch the webinar on YouTube (video length: 1:05:32)

Read a transcript of the event (PDF - 241KB)

Download the presentation slides (PDF - 3MB)