The University of Southern California (USC) Office of Research and Innovation (OORI) has announced four new awardees under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Planning Award.
The University of Southern California (USC) offers the SBIR/STTR Planning Award to support faculty in preparing competitive proposals for federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding. This program encourages collaboration between USC researchers and small businesses, including faculty-led startups, to advance technology transfer and commercialization efforts. Awardees receive resources to develop their proposals, aiming to secure substantial external funding for innovative research and development projects. Pursuing SBIR and STTR funding is crucial for faculty researchers as it provides opportunities to bridge the gap between academic innovation and commercial application, driving real-world impact. These programs support collaboration with small businesses, fostering technology transfer and enabling faculty to contribute to economic development. Additionally, securing SBIR/STTR funding strengthens a researcher’s portfolio, offering valuable resources for advancing projects and attracting further external investment. Obtaining SBIR/STTR funding externally is critical to advancing USC’s stature as a leader in innovation and commercialization, and OORI and RII are thrilled to see the increased interest and engagement amongst faculty members in receiving internal support in preparation for external SBIR/STTR submissions.
The awardees under the SBIR/STTR Planning Award are as follows:
(1) Sergey Nuzhdin, PhD – Professor of Biological Sciences; USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences
Proposal Title: Breeding Superior, Non-Reproductive Kelp Crops for Large-Scale Farming
Company Partner: MacroBreed LLC
(2) Qi-Long Ying, PhD – Professor, Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Integrative Anatomical Sciences; Keck School of Medicine of USC
Proposal Title: Genetically Engineering Human Granulocyte-Monocyte Progenitors for Cancer Immunotherapy
Company Partner: Myelogene Inc.
(3) David Barnhart, PhD – Professor, Department of Astronautical Engineering, Director, Space Engineering Research Center; USC Viterbi School of Engineering & Information Sciences Institute
Proposal Title: Proposal to Create a Space Engineering Pipeline for Science, Engineering, and SBIR/STTR Research Funding within USC: USC Space Science and Engineering Research Park
Company Partner: Arkisys
(4) Remo Rohs, PhD – Professor of Quantitative and Computational Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Astronomy and Computer Science; USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences
Proposal Title: AI-Driven Discovery of Novel BMAL1 Modulators for the Treatment of Circadian Dysregulation and Cancer
Company Partner: DrugHIVE