The Flash Grant program identifies and energizes creative ideas that exhibit early indications of exceptional commercial potential. Like a flash of inspiration, flash grants infuse a quick jolt of funding at a critical early point when a small, targeted influx of funds is crucial to shaping innovative research ideas into high-potential life sciences technologies.
Flash grants support short, tightly-focused research projects in these two categories:
- To obtain initial exploratory, proof-of-concept, or feasibility data necessary to suggest the disruptive potential of a life sciences technology
- To conduct the final experiment(s) needed to advance a basic life sciences research program into the translational research phase of development
These micro-grants provide funding for projects that ultimately generate follow-on funding, intellectual property filings, licenses, and startup company formation; however, the projects are too early for traditional grant funding mechanisms.
Cycle 3 is open to proposals in all areas of the life sciences, with a particular focus on topics related to the Bioeconomy of North Carolina, except Class I medical devices, consumer products, and/or mobile apps.
Bioeconomy topics of interest for this cycle relate to bio-based improvements to industrial processes and include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Bioindustrial processes and products
- Bioindustrial enzymes
- Fermentation optimization and process improvements
- Fermentation of algae and microalgae
- Bio-based chemicals/bio-based plastics
- Bioremediation of forever chemicals (not mechanical filtration or chemical capture)
- Biodegradation of fossil fuel-based polymers and plastics
Funds are available to researchers at any North Carolina university or non-profit research institute.
Flash Grant FAQs are found here: www.ncbiotech.org/grant-faq
Application Materials
The guidelines and application materials for Flash Grant Cycle 3 are listed below.
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FY24 Cycle 3 Flash Grant Guidelines.pdf
How to Submit your Proposal:
Important First Step: The Principal Investigator for the proposal must register for an account on the NCBiotech Funding Portal in advance of the deadline to submit a proposal.
Click here for instructions and more information.
Flash Grants
Maximum Award:
$27,500
(with an intern supplement for non-R1 universities)
$20,000
(without an intern supplement for R1 universities)
FY2024 Deadlines:
Cycle 1
Wednesday, September 13, 2023 (noon)
Cycle 2
Wednesday, December 6, 2023 (noon)
Cycle 3
Wednesday, March 20, 2024 (noon)
For questions or more information, contact:
Michelle Collins, MPA, CRA, CPRA
Director, Grant Process Operations
Science and Technology Development
(919) 549-8845 | michelle_collins@ncbiotech.org