Move your innovation forward with funding support from the Center for Translational Research
Researchers across the ñ—and the startups and partners working with them—are developing discoveries with the potential to address global challenges. Moving those breakthroughs beyond the lab often requires specialized funding and insight into industry needs.
The Center for Translational Research (CTR), part of Venture Partners at ñ, helps researchers and startup founders at ñ, as well as external partners, to secure non-dilutive funding (financial support that does not require giving up equity) and advance promising technologies toward the marketplace. This year, the center welcomes new director Sarah Hughes.
“Many researchers have technologies with real-world potential but aren’t sure where to begin with translational funding,” Hughes said. “Our goal is to help innovators understand the landscape, identify the right opportunities and build strong proposals that position their innovation’s transition from the lab to the market.”
Guidance from idea to proposal
The center works with innovators at multiple stages of the translational funding process, helping principal investigators identify appropriate grant mechanisms and develop a strategy for pursuing competitive opportunities. The center advises team formation, company formation and proposal topic alignment while helping coordinate proposal timelines, preliminary work and supporting materials.
To strengthen proposals, the center also provides market research and industry analysis, helping research teams understand the competitive landscape and broader industry trends shaping their field.
As proposals develop, the center provides writing and editing support to ensure drafts align with solicitation requirements, strengthen the overall narrative and improve clarity.
Pursuing translational funding
One of the most significant sources of translational support comes from the federal government’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, administered through the U.S. Small Business Administration. Known collectively as SBIR/STTR, or “America’s Seed Fund,” the programs provide non-dilutive funding to U.S. small businesses working to commercialize innovative technologies.
Established in 1982, SBIR/STTR has supported thousands of technologies and companies through early-stage research and development awards issued by agencies including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and NASA.
“SBIR and STTR awards are powerful programs for researchers and startups to move promising technologies toward real-world impact,” Hughes said. “The center is here to help applicants navigate recent changes to the program, and to support future applications.”
Beyond SBIR/STTR, the center helps innovators pursue a broader range of translational funding opportunities. These include other federal programs such as the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships Translation to Practice program, state initiatives like the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade Advanced Industries Proof of Concept and Early-Stage Capital and Retention grants, and founder-focused programs such as the Activate Fellowship and West Gate Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program that support scientists and engineers as they bring research breakthroughs to market.
Connecting innovators with resources and expertise
Through the center, innovators are connected to the broader commercialization ecosystem at Venture Partners, helping researchers and founders access entrepreneurial training, startup support and opportunities to engage with industry partners.
But what is "commercialization?"
The path to commercialization—also known as "research translation" or "tech transfer"—can be challenging, so Venture Partners unitesindustry partners, entrepreneurs and investors to helpresearchers, inventors and creators at the University of Colorado bring their groundbreaking discoveries into the marketplace.
Throughout the year, the center hosts workshops and events designed to help researchers better understand translational funding pathways and prepare competitive proposals.
“We’re excited to launch this new chapter for the Center for Translational Research and expand the ways we support our innovation community,” said Sarah Hughes. “There is extraordinary work happening across CUB, and we look forward to helping translate those discoveries into transformative technologies and companies.”
Researchers and startup founders interested in SBIR/STTR or other translational funding opportunities are encouraged to connect with the center to learn more about available support and upcoming events and resources.
The Newsroom
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