What is the Biotech Research Development and Entrepreneurialism (BRDE) Center? 

The Biotech Research Development and Entrepreneurialism Center is a major initiative of the Flinn Foundation grant. The initiative focuses on bolstering the commercialization of wet lab research findings into tangible, patient-centered products, therapies, or algorithms that ultimately improve the health of people in Arizona and beyond. By providing supplemental funding, educational workshops, and networking opportunities, BRDE aims to increase the success and reach of groundbreaking bioscience research conducted at U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix. 

The Flinn Foundation, a beacon for bioscience development in Arizona, awarded a multi-year grant to College of Medicine – Phoenix. The multifaceted funding supports all components of BRDE, as well as the Translational Cardiovascular Research Center (TCRC), the Center for Precise, Personalized, and Preventative Psychiatry (C4P), and the U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix /Flinn Summer Research Internship.  

Goals 

  • Cultivate community of practice around medical innovation and entrepreneurship 
  • Establish innovation and commercialization resource group with internal and external partners 
  • Support faculty with individual bioscience entrepreneurial mentorship  
  • Increase number of faculty who apply for and successfully obtain Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) grants 
  • Equip research faculty with the tools to seek licensing agreements and intellectual property patents, as well as to establish bioscience companies

Major components 

Coffee, Consultation, and Collaboration series: Each month, BRDE spotlights a topic and/or guest speaker related to research funding, bioscience innovation, research commercialization, and entrepreneurial resources. The meeting takes place on the 4th Friday of every month. Please contact Sabrina Uddin (@email) to be added to the listserv to learn about this meeting series and other U of A College of Medicine – Phoenix research events. You can also fill out this form.

Grant Support office hours: Every Wednesday and Thursday from 4-5pm, Dr. Reed and Dr. Wang host office hours to provide consultation on grant applications, research goals, and potential resources. Office hours are offered in-person or virtually. Please contact Dr. Wang (@email) to confirm your attendance.  

Research Funding:

  • Drug Discovery Award: Supports the translation of research findings into the discovery pipeline for both small molecule and monoclonal antibody drugs, biologics or other agents for development as therapeutic agents. Applications are currently closed.
  • Clinical Translational Entrepreneurial Award: Supports the development of new products, approaches, or algorithms aimed at addressing significant clinical needs. Applications are currently closed.
  • Supercharge SBIR/STTR Award: Supplemental funding to address funding gaps for faculty who have already been awarded a SBIR or STTR grant. Applications are currently closed.  

SBIR/STTR Grant Support Programming: Faculty researchers planning on submitting SBIR/STTR grant applications for upcoming deadlines may receive full sponsorship for the Arizona Commerce Authority SBIR/STTR Workshop series. Researchers will also participate in an internal cohort-based SBIR/STTR bootcamp for 6 weeks leading up to the deadline for peer review support and exclusive consultation services for grant preparation. 

Coffee, Consultation, and Collaboration series

All available PowerPoints can be found here. 

2026

  • January: Raising Early-Stage Funding for Biotech Startups with Ashok Santhanam, AZ-VC
  • February: Preparing a Strong Commercialization Plan for SBIR/STTR Phase II with Katharine Korunes, Eva Garland Consulting
  • March: From Engineering to Entrepreneurship: Turning Innovation into a Successful Company with Tim Tobin, Planatome
  • April: From Discovery to Delivery: The Strategic Growth of NuvOx Therapeutics with Evan Unger & Rong Wang, NuvOx Therapeutics
  • May: From Innovation to Market: Commercializing CAR-T Cell Detection and Monitoring Technologies with Frank Li, CYTOART
  • June: NIH SBIR/STTR Funding Update: Navigating New Opportunities and Strategies for Success with Arsalan Daudi, Eva Garland Consulting
  • July: The Flinn Foundation's Seed Grant Application: Understanding the Keys to a Successful Application with Joanna Yang-Yowler, PhD
  • August: Flinn Foundation Translational Seed Grants Awardee Experience with Melissa Herbst-Kralovetz, PhD
  • October: Showcasing Progress: Clinical Translational Entrepreneurial Award (CTEA) Awardees with Rayna Gonzales, PhD & Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, MD
     

2025

  • January: Funding Beyond Grants: Venture Capital and Angel Investors for Biotech Startups with Bob DeLean, Executive Director of Arizona Tech Investors
  • February: SBIR/STTR Bootcamp: Starting your SBIR/STTR Grant Application with Guy Reed, MD, MS, Dean Emeritus
  • March: SBIR/STTR Bootcamp: Preparing a Successful Grant Proposal with Wiley Larsen, Director of SBIR/STTR & University Partnerships at Arizona Commerce Authority (Recording linked here)
  • May: SBIR/STTR Bootcamp: Small Business Requirements for SBIR/STTR Grants: The Ownership of Small Business with Robert Theobald, VP of Small Business Services, Arizona Commerce Authority
  • May: SBIR/STTR Bootcamp: Small Business Settings and Selection for SBIR/STTR Grants – Understanding UA Policy and Choosing the Right Path with Peter Nestler, Mentor-in-Residence, Tech Launch Arizona
  • June: SBIR/STTR Bootcamp: Crafting a Strong SBIR/STTR Project Narrative with Drs. Guy Reed and Tim Marlowe
  • August: The Flinn Foundation's Seed Grants Application: Make Progress This Year with Joanna Yang-Yowler, PhD
  • August: SBIR/STTR Bootcamp: Navigating the Submission and Review Process with Dr. Dan Suhr, Independent Consulting
  • September5: Lessons from Success – Flinn Foundation Seed Grants Awardee Experience with Dr. Julie Ledford
  • October Preparing a Strong Commercialization Plan for SBIR/STTR Phase II with Wiley Larsen, Arizona Commerce Authority
  • November Showcasing Progress – Drug Discovery Award Awardees’ Presentations
  • December: Grant Writing Workshop with Dr. Dan Suhr, Independent Consulting

2024

  • August: Anchor Your Work in the Arizona Bioscience Roadmap: Flinn Foundation Seed Grant
  • September: Biotech Entrepreneurial Research and SBIR/STTR Grants
  • October: Panel Discussion: How I Built This? Bioscience Commercialization with Timothy Marlowe, PhD
  • November: The Importance of Intellectual Property (IP) and IP Strategy in Your Entrepreneurial Journey with Rakhi Gibbons, Tech Launch Arizona

Research Funding  

Drug Discovery Award

Overview: To increase the translation of research findings into the discovery pipeline of both small molecule and monoclonal antibody drugs, biologics or other agents for development as therapeutic agents, the Flinn Foundation allocates funds to support highly meritorious projects.  These projects focus on the identification of candidate molecules that can be tested in proof-of-concept studies and serve as a successful step toward development. Selected awardees are initially granted $15,000. Pending sufficient progress reports, an additional $15,000 may be awarded. 

PI Eligibility: Eligibility is limited to University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix faculty, including those who hold appointments in a clinical affiliate institution (Banner University, Veteran’s Administration, Barrow Neurological Institute or Phoenix Children’s Hospital).  Faculty applicants must be engaged in research and be eligible to apply for follow-up external grant funding. 

Awardees

  1. Inna Gladysheva, PhD: Developing Novel Agents to Improve Outcomes in Heart Failure 
  2. Michael Kruer, MD: Custom ASO treatment of a genetic form of cerebral palsy – first-in-kind proof of principle study 
  3. Hongyu Qiu, MD, PhD: Developing a novel therapy for myocardial ischemic disease 

Clinical Translational Entrepreneurial Award

Overview: The Clinical Translational Entrepreneurial Award is designed to incentivize clinician-scientist research teams to collaborate and gather human clinical data that supports the development of new products, approaches, or algorithms aimed at addressing significant clinical needs. Selected awardees are granted $50,000.

Focus Areas: Priority is given to projects in the areas of cardiovascular disease and pharmacogenetics-genomics of mental illness. However, other meritorious projects outside these areas are considered.  

Goal: All projects should aim to lead to a submitted Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) or Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) proposal, fostering further development and commercialization of innovative clinical solutions. 

PI Eligibility: Eligibility is limited to University of Arizona College of Medicine Phoenix faculty, including those who hold appointments in a clinical affiliate institution (Banner University, Veteran’s Administration, Barrow Neurological Institute or Phoenix Children’s Hospital). 

Awardees

  1. Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, MD: A Novel Upstream Therapeutic Target for Atrial Fibrillation 
  2. Rayna Gonzales, PhD: Neuroprotective Potential of MnP-05: A Novel Brain-Penetrant Redox-Active Therapeutic for Ischemic Stroke Therapy 
  3. Hongyu Qiu, MD, PhD: Exploring a New Therapeutic Solution for Resistant Hypertension
  4. Karen T. Hastings, MD, PhD: Development of a Biomarker to Aid Melanoma Diagnosis

Supercharging SBIR/STTR Grants

This supplemental funding is for faculty who have been awarded a SBIR or STTR grant, and are designated as the PI on the grant.  

  • $25,000 for Phase 1 SBIR/STTR Grant 
  • $50,000 for Phase 2 SBIR/STTR Grant 

Candidates must forward Notice of Award and other supporting documentation to Dong Wang, MD, PhD, BRDE Project Manager. Applications are currently closed.

Awardees

  1. Tim Marlowe, PhD: Advancing FAK inhibitors toward IND readiness for fibrotic lung disease therapeutics

Additional Resources

Tech Launch Arizona (TLA) 

Tech Launch Arizona supports inventors at U of A to help them turn discoveries into real-world solutions. BRDE frequently collaborates with TLA to provide learning opportunities and expert guidance to faculty who are looking to develop their research into tangible, patient-centered products.  

Their staff shares expertise at every step of the commercialization process. Garrett Edmunds serves as the Licensing Manager at Tech Launch Arizona for the University of Arizona Health Sciences, which includes COM-P. Faculty Innovation Ambassadors such as Dr. Frederic Zenhausern, serve as seasoned entrepreneurial resources.  

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Grants 

SBIR and STTR grant opportunities, frequently administered by the National Institutes of Health, provide technology-focused entrepreneurs with significant funding to successfully commercialize products. These grants are highly competitive and highly rewarding. 

BRDE partners with the Arizona Commerce Authority to connect faculty with their training programs, supplemental funding opportunities, expert consultation, and more.  

BRDE Team and Contact Information