What are Massachusetts Clean Energy Center ("MassCEC") Catalyst Program Awards?
MassCEC and the MTTC see a need to help researchers and early stage companies move their inventions into development. This will increase the value of their inventions and enhance the ability to license them to existing companies or to create new companies in Massachusetts. The grants will be awarded to selected Principal Investigators (PIs) at Massachusetts's institutions or CEOs from early stage companies to undertake targeted development on technologies. All rights to intellectual property developed as part of these grants or resultant funding will remain with the PI's research institution or early stage company.
While the grants are limited, it is the intention of MassCEC and MTTC to support researchers and early stage companies who want to demonstrate the feasibility of their technologies in specific industry applications in order to obtain increased industry and investor interest.
What is the Technology Investigation Awards Schedule?
Awards Schedule
February 1, 2012 Open Invitation to Apply
March 14, 2012 Proposals due April 17, 2012 Finalists notified
May 3, 2012 Finalists draft presentations due
May 17, 2012 Finalists presentations May 23, 2012 Awardees notified June 6, 2012 Announcement of Award Recipients
Who can apply?
To be eligible for an award you must be either:
Any researcher or faculty member at a Massachusetts-based nonprofit research organization is eligible to apply. This includes universities, hospitals, research institutes and federal research labs. If from a research organization, the applicant must have Principal Investigator status in their home institution in order to apply for these funds and their technology must be disclosed to the institution.
Student teams may apply, as long as they have a faculty member or researcher who will be the Principal Investigator and will be responsible for the management of the grant and the reporting requirements.
CEOs from early stage companies are also welcome to apply. Equity financing in their company must be less than $200,000. Companies may have received grant funding from government agencies or foundations, and prize money for business plan competitions. The company must have been incorporated within the past 18 months (since August 1, 2010) and have four or less emplyees. The intention of these awards is to accelerate the commercialization of technologies that have been invented at research institutions or early stage companies in Massachusetts.
What technologies are eligible for funding?
We are looking for technologies in all fields of Clean Energy. Particular emphasis will be placed on selecting technologies that could be a foundation for new companies or technologies that could improve the competitiveness of existing Massachusetts companies.
For the purposes of this program, Clean Energy technologies are defined as those that contribute to the advancement of one or more of the following clean energy or energy efficiency categories:
Technologies related to coal, oil, and natural gas, except where used in fuel cells or nuclear power, are not acceptable technologies for MassCEC funding.
How do I apply?
A proposal must be submitted by March 14, 2012 for MassCEC's Catalyst Program Awards.
When do I apply?
The MTTC is accepting Statements of Intent for MassCEC's Catalyst Program Awards now until March 14, 2012.
Is there a format for the submissions?
Yes. Submissions must be in MS Word or PDF format, using Arial 11-point font. The file should be no larger than 4MB. The maximum number of pages (including all attachments) is 10 pages for the $40,000 Catalyst Program Award.
What happens to late applications?
Proposals that are not received by the closing deadline will not be considered in this solicitation. If you would like to be placed on an e-mailing list for receiving notification regarding other grant solicitations, contact Michele Bernier at mbernier@umassp.edu.
What if I have questions regarding the application process?
If you have any questions, contact Michele Bernier in the MTTC office at mbernier@umassp.edu or (774) 455-7278.
How are the funds allocated?
The funds are awarded through an external review process judged by a pool of independent experts. MassCEC and MTTC determinations are final. The steps in the process are as follows:
The MTTC Advisory Board and MassCEC's Investments in Clean Technology team oversee the process and approve the final recommendations from the external reviewers.
What are the evaluation criteria?
The reviewers will be asked to consider:
Must overhead be included in the budget?
If overhead is required by your institution then overhead must be included as a line item in the budget section of the application. The complete amount of the award will be $40,000 including overhead. Check with your institution. Many institutions have waived overhead for this award.
In what ways can inventors use the funds?
Funds may be used in many ways to move an idea or technology closer to commercialization. Examples of how the Catalyst Program Awards (maximum $40,000) funds can be used:
If your institution requires overhead on your award, this must be indicated in your budget. Check with your insitution. Many institutions have waived overhead for this award.
Funds may not be used for:
If I have started a company or work closely with a company can they receive funding?
If the company is an early stage clean energy company in Massachusetts, then the CEO is welcome to apply for the award provided that equity financing is not greater than $200,000. The company must have been incorporated within the past 18 months (since August 1, 2010) and have four or less employees.
My company has received some funding, can I apply?
CEOs from early stage clean energy companies are welcome to apply if equity financing into your company is less than $200,000. There is no limit of funding from grants or prizes.
What about proprietary information?
Our policy is to keep your information confidential, but we cannot guarantee its security. It is strongly urged that applicants submit publicly available information about their technology and/or application. Generally, technology can be described in broad terms that do not require submittal of proprietary information. The technology's commercial potential is the most important issue for selection for MassCEC and MTTC support. However, limited information on the actual technology or experimental data should be included in the application to allow reviewers to assess the maturity and validity of the technology. Discuss any concerns with your technology transfer office or IP attorney, and work with them on the contents of the proposal.
Do I have to disclose the technology to my technology transfer office?
If you are from a research institution you need to disclose your technology to your institution's technology transfer office. If you have not already disclosed your technology to your institution's technology transfer office, you will be required to make a disclosure prior to the review of the expert panel. Include all contact information for your technology transfer officer with your proposal. If you are chosen to receive an award, your technology transfer office will also be notified of the award.
Can these grants be used with other funding?
Yes. If you can use these funds to augment or to attract other commercialization funds, we would like you to show this in your proposal. If you are awarded funding from multiple sources for the same project, we will want to see budgets and milestones showing which parts of the projects will be paid for by this award and which will be paid for by other funding sources.
What are the post award requirements?
Award recipients must submit a formal six-month report and a final report on the research completed, milestones achieved, new technologies disclosed and use of funds. (If the funding is spent within six months, this is the only report that will be required.) It is also anticipated that throughout the award period the recipient will maintain contact with MassCEC and MTTC on commercialization plans for the technology.
What is the timeline of the award contract?
The contract for award winners should be executed within 60 days of notification and will be for one year.
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