Time sensitive! UM-BILD is accepting letters of intent through Sept. 12.
Investigators working on technologies in the therapeutic, medical device, diagnostic, and digital health areas are encouraged to apply for funding.
Selected projects will receive up to $75,000 in funding for a 12-month period.
To learn more, please visit the How to Apply page of UM-BILD’s website or email UM-BILD@umaryland.edu. The electronic submission portal for LOIs opened Aug. 1, 2025, and will close at 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, Sept. 12, 2025. All submissions will be reviewed by the UM-BILD administrative team.
In early October 2025, the top-ranked project teams will be invited to submit full applications. Full applications should be routed through the investigator’s departmental business managers and the Office of Sponsored Programs via Kuali. Final applications will be due by Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, and award recipients will be announced in March 2026.
Selected projects will begin work in May 2026, with the funding period running through April 2027.
UM-BILD expects to fund eight Cohort 3 Pilot Grants, with principal investigators based at UMB, UMBC, and MSU.
For questions regarding UMBC technologies, please contact the Office of Technology Development otd@umbc.edu.
UMBC Technology Catalyst Fund
Request for Proposals
FY 2026
Background: The UMBC
Office of Technology Development (OTD), under the Office of the Vice President
for Research, is continually seeking ways to help bridge the funding gap –
support that can be difficult to obtain from traditional funding sources. With
support provided by the State of Maryland, we are happy to announce our annual
Request for Proposals for the UMBC
Technology Catalyst Fund, a source designed to advance innovations
originating from UMBC research to more commercially viable technologies.
Additional proof-of-concept studies, extending data collection and prototype
development are examples of the essential steps needed to demonstrate
commercial potential.
A total of $100,000 is available annually for this initiative. UMBC plans to make several awards up to $25,000. Projects will be funded at the level deemed necessary to achieve the goals outlined in the proposal. Awards will be for a six- to twelve- month period and only proposals that can demonstrate achievable milestones within that time period will be selected for funding. One-time, no-cost extensions may be granted, subject to approval by the review committee. No overhead will apply.
Requirements: All UMBC members with Principal Investigator status are eligible to apply as long as the technology to be developed has been previously disclosed to OTD. We welcome projects from all disciplines and encourage interdisciplinary collaborations.
Criteria: All
proposals will be reviewed by a committee comprised of internal and outside
reviewers from the business community, and will be held confidential. PI’s
whose proposals are selected to continue onto the final round of evaluation
will be notified, and the PI will be invited to give a presentation to the
Review Committee.
The evaluation criteria will include factors such as:
· Significance of the market need and opportunity to impact the public.
· Competitive advantage the technology presents over current solutions.
· Probability that the project will result in additional funding or licensing.
· Probability that the research results will strengthen the patent position.
· Probability of reaching milestones within the time frame and budget.
Deadlines: OTD must be notified of your intent to submit a proposal by Friday, September 26, 2025. The final deadline for proposal submissions is Friday, October 17, 2025. Please be advised that several preliminary steps must be completed prior to final submission. Finalists must be available to present their proposals to the review committee on Friday, November 7, 2025. Awardees will be notified by the end of the year, with an anticipated starting date of January 12, 2026.
Contact: Interested applicants should contact Enidia Santiago-Arce, Assistant Director, OTD at esantia2@umbc.edu to request the Proposal Process and Executive Summary Checklist and the Cover Form.
A flyer is attached for Departmental display.
Are you interested in supporting ethical research at UMBC?
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) — the university committee that reviews, approves, and monitors research involving human participants — is currently accepting volunteer applications from faculty, staff, and students to join the committee.
The IRB regularly rotates its membership to ensure representation across departments and areas of expertise. This is a great opportunity to contribute to the integrity of UMBC’s research enterprise while gaining valuable experience in research ethics and compliance.
If you're interested in serving, please complete the form linked below. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
For questions, contact the Department of Human Research Protections and Integrity at IRB@umbc.edu.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to support and protect human subjects in research at UMBC!
With support provided by the Office of Institutional Advancement (OIA) and the Office of Research and Creative Achievement (ORCA), we are happy to announce our continued funding initiative called FEAT. The program is designed to help broaden the technology pipeline, while also assisting with later stage technology commercialization. It is available to UMBC’s entrepreneurial PIs to advance their technical concept, or their idea (social/behavioral/policy related) in conjunction with technology, towards commercial success, and out to meet societal needs. FEAT is flexible to assist UMBC researchers in obtaining additional commercialization funding, and providing mentorship services.
FEAT will support things like prototype builds, market surveys, business plans, CEO support, mentoring assistance, special facility or equipment access -whatever your specific needs are to obtain your next commercialization funding (MII, MIPS, SBIR/STTR, Momentum Funds, etc.). This program will also enable UMBC, through OTD and bwtech, to identify for faculty existing resources, as well as provide new resources (like Market databases) based on faculty requests.
Proposal and Award Requirements: UMBC PI eligible applicants must submit a one-page proposal which details the following:
Deadlines: Rolling submission, due the first Monday of the month, monthly reviews. Submit your one-page proposal to Enidia Santiago-Arce at esantia2@umbc.edu. Reviewed monthly, proposals are funded at the level deemed necessary to achieve the goals outlined in the proposal.