Date: May 29, 2013 Author: press release Source: vabiotech.com (
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CIT Announces Awards for the Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) FY2013 Solicitation
Awards leverage investment match to spark innovation, company formation in the Commonwealth
May 29, 2013 (HERNDON, Va.) -- The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) announced today 43 awards totaling $3 million for the FY2013 Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF). The awards were made to 27 unique organizations from academia, the research community and industry across Virginia for the purpose of funding targeted areas of research with commercial promise aligned with the Commonwealth Research and Technology (R&T) Strategic Roadmap.
CRCF funding is available to public and private institutions of higher education, private sector businesses, research institute, federal labs and political subdivisions. Governor McDonnell and the General Assembly appropriated $4.8 million to the Fund each for FY2013 and FY2014. Five programs were eligible for award during the most recent solicitation: Commercialization, Facilities Enhancement Loan, Matching Funds, SBIR Matching Funds and STTR Matching Funds. Awarded projects represent the areas of advanced manufacturing, aerospace, communications, cyber security, energy, environment, information technology, life sciences, modeling and simulation and transportation.
Pete Jobse, CIT President and CEO, said, "CIT is pleased to have the opportunity to conduct the CRCF process on behalf of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Investment Authority. These awards will advance essential technology research and commercialization initiatives, creating vast opportunities throughout the Commonwealth."
The following CRCF proposals will be awarded, contingent upon acceptance of award terms and conditions:
Commercialization Program
CyberSheath Services International, LLC (Great Falls), Cyber Security Health Assessment, Mr. Eric Noonan, $42,500, Cyber Security
CyberSheath Services International, LLC (Great Falls), Data Breach Cost Quantification Model, Mr. Eric Noonan, $42,500, Cyber Security
IgM Immunotherapy, LLC (Charlottesville), Naturally-Occurring Immunoglobulin M (IgM) Antibodies to Prevent Autoimmune Diabetes, Dr. Kenneth Brayman, $50,000, Life Sciences
Leone Bioventures, LLC (Roanoke), Development of an Agricultural Fungicide, Mr. Edward Goyette, $49,920, Life Sciences
Neoantigenics LLC (Charlottesville), Critical Characterization of Candidate Monoclonal Antibodies for Generating Cancer Therapeutics, Dr. Brian Pollock, $50,000, Life Sciences
Neoantigenics LLC (Charlottesville), Survey of Human Urogenital Tumors Expressing the SAS 1B Oocyte-Associated Cancer Biomarker, Dr. Brian Pollock, $50,000, Life Sciences
Matching Funds Program
Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing (Disputanta), Abrasive Blasting -- Understanding and Optimizing the Process, Mr. Matt Stremler, $100,000, Advanced Manufacturing
Eastern Virginia Medical School (Norfolk), Pre-Clinical Development of New Characterized Compounds That Preserve Functional Beta Cell Mass in Diabetes, Dr. David Taylor-Fishwick, $100,000, Life Sciences
Eastern Virginia Medical School (Norfolk), Proton Therapy Simulation and Treatment Planning Algorithm Development, Dr. Cynthia Keppel, $100,000, Modeling & Simulation
George Mason University (Fairfax), Sequencing Instrumentation Support for the Commercialization of Diagnostics of Dysbiosis in Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases, Dr. Patrick Gillevet, $95,564, Life Sciences
Old Dominion University (Norfolk), Advanced Nano-Architecture for High Efficiency Energy Convergence Systems, Dr. Helmut Baumgart, $100,000, Energy
Old Dominion University (Norfolk), Efficient Diesel Exhaust Remediation Using a Nonthermal Plasma Reactor, Dr. Richard Heller, $99,471, Environment
Old Dominion University (Norfolk), Reducing Energy Use and Emissions through Innovative Technologies and Community Designs: Methodology and Application in Virginia, Dr. Asad Khattak, $100,000, Transportation
Old Dominion University (Norfolk), Smart Combiner for Residential Photovoltaic Systems, Dr. Shirshak Dhali, $75,000, Energy
Southeastern Universities Research Association (Newport News), Development of Method for Reduced Dose Breast Specific Gamma Imaging, Dr. Andrew Weisenberger, $98,235, Life Sciences
Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center Foundation d/b/a Clean Energy R&D Center (Abingdon), Tazewell County Renewable Natural Gas, Mr. Edwin Rogers, $100,000, Energy
University of Virginia (Charlottesville), Generation of T Regulatory Cells for Type I Diabetes, Dr. Mary Laughlin, $100,000, Life Sciences
University of Virginia (Charlottesville), Hacker-Proofing the Web, Dr. Jack Davidson, $36,500, Cyber Security
University of Virginia (Charlottesville), Monoclonal Antibodies to Target Tumor Surface Metalloprotease, Dr. John Herr, $100,000, Life Sciences
University of Virginia (Charlottesville), System-Aware Cyber Security Sentinel, Dr. Barry Horowitz, $100,000, Cyber Security
University of Virginia (Charlottesville), Therapeutic Targeting of Glioblastoma Stem Cells with Cav3.2 Blockers, Dr. Roger Abounader, $100,000, Life Sciences
University of Virginia (Charlottesville), Thermal Transport across GaN Interfaces: Linking Structural Imperfections to Thermal Properties, Dr. Patrick Hopkins, $100,000, Energy
Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond), A Minimally Invasive Treatment for Cerebral Palsy Using Engineered Hydrogels, Dr. Ning Zhang, $100,000, Life Sciences
Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond), Developing New Products to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections, Dr. Xuejun Wen, $100,000, Life Sciences
Virginia Tech (Blacksburg), High Frequency Irreversible Electroporation for Lung Cancer and Other Endoscopic Ablation Applications, Dr. Rafael Davalos, $100,000, Life Sciences
Virginia Tech (Blacksburg), Use of Electric Fields for the Isolation of Tumor Initiating Cells and Other Rare Cells, Dr. Rafael Davalos, $100,000, Life Sciences
SBIR Matching Funds Program
algorithmRx, LLC (North Chesterfield), Computer Assisted Clinical Decision Support Tool for Management of Statins, Mr. Steve Hutcherson, $50,000, Life Sciences
Bear Technologies, LLC (Oilville), Design and Modeling of a Revolutionary Commercial High Torque Motor, Mr. Tom Myrick, $50,000, Modeling & Simulation
Ceres Nanosciences, Inc. (Manassas), Nanotrap-Enabled Biofluid Collection and Preservation Toolset, Mr. Ben Lepene, $50,000, Life Sciences
ClearEdge3D, Inc. (Herndon), Novel Algorithms for Automated 3D Building Models and 3D Street Maps, Mr. Christopher Scotton, $49,965, Modeling & Simulation
Designed Material Technologies LLC (Richmond), Modeling Growth of Crystalline Oxides on Silicon for High-K and Ferroelectric Applications, Dr. Christopher Ashman, $49,973, Modeling & Simulation
HemoShear, LLC (Charlottesville), Development of a Human Hepatocyte Predictive Pharmacology and Toxicology System, Dr. Brian Wamhoff, $49,996, Life Sciences
HemoShear, LLC (Charlottesville), Creating a Predictive Vascular System for Early Development, Dr. Brian Wamhoff, $50,000, Life Sciences
iTi Health, Inc. (Charlottesville), Development of a Targeted Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer, Dr. Greg Fralish, $50,000, Life Sciences
Parabon NanoLabs, Inc. (Reston), A Nano Pharmaceutical Platform for Creating Artificial Vaccines, Dr. Steven Armentrout, $50,000, Life Sciences
Power Fingerprinting, Inc. (Blacksburg), Active Software Defense to Reduce Threat Capability Effectiveness, Dr. Carlos Aguayo Gonzalez, $50,000, Cyber Security
RetiVue, LLC (Charlottesville), Atlas -- A Handheld High Resolution Wide-Field Retinal Imager, Dr. Paul Yates, $50,000, Life Sciences
Rivanna Medical, LLC (Crozet), X-Ray Replacement for Bone Imaging with a Portable Ultrasound Device, Dr. Frank Mauldin, $50,000, Life Sciences
Rivanna Medical, LLC (Crozet), Three-Dimensional Ultrasound for Neuroaxial Anesthesia Guidance, Dr. Frank Mauldin, $50,000, Life Sciences
S34A, Inc. (Arlington), Forensic Analysis of Solid State Drives, Mr. Hank Wallace, $30,000, Cyber Security
Serpin Pharma, LLC (Nokesville), Efficacy Testing of SP16 in NOD Mice, Dr. Soren Mogelsvang, $50,000, Life Sciences
ยท SphynKx Therapeutics LLC (Charlottesville), Evaluation of Sphingosine Kinase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease, Dr. Kevin Lynch, $50,000, Life Sciences
STTR Matching Funds Program
Power Fingerprinting, Inc. (Blacksburg), Security for Wireless Devices: Security Monitoring and Intrusion Detection in SDR and CR Using Power Fingerprinting, Dr. Carlos Aguayo Gonzalez, $50,000, Cyber Security
This list can also be accessed at www.cit.org/service-lines/crcf-awards/.
"CIT received over 100 proposals from throughout the Commonwealth. Young technology companies, universities and research institutes demonstrated the diverse and exciting breadth of research and commercialization in Virginia." said Nancy Vorona, CIT VP Research Investment.
Proposals underwent a four-step review process beginning with guideline compliance performed by CIT and followed with a review by subject matter experts from industry, academia and government. The Research and Technology Investment Advisory Committee (RTIAC) then recommended proposals to be funded to the Center for Innovative Technology's Board of Directors, which selected the awards.
Award recipients will be contacted over the next two weeks to review award terms and conditions. CIT staff will be available to discuss the selection process beginning June 12, 2013.
CIT will publish information on the next CRCF solicitation through distribution resources including press releases, newsletters, Federal Funding Assistance Program (FFAP) events and on the CIT website at: www.cit.org/service-lines/commonwealth-research-commercialization-fund/.
About the CRCF and R&T Roadmap
The Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) advances science- and technology-based research, development and commercialization to drive economic growth in Virginia and to encourage collaboration among its institutions of higher education and partnerships between these colleges and universities and business and industry.
The Commonwealth Research and Technology (R&T) Strategic Roadmap is a comprehensive planning tool the Commonwealth uses to identify research areas worthy of economic development and institutional focus. It provides elected and other officials with priorities in key industry sectors that have commercial promise and that are eligible for new CRCF awards. The Research and Technology Investment Advisory Committee (RTIAC), comprised of university, industry and economic development experts, reviews applications and make award recommendations to the CIT Board.
About the Center for Innovative Technology, www.cit.org
Since 1985, CIT, a nonprofit corporation, has been the Commonwealth's primary driver of innovation-based economic development. CIT accelerates the next generation of technology and technology companies through commercialization, capital formation, market development and revenue generation services. To facilitate national innovation leadership and accelerate the rate of technology adoption, CIT creates partnerships between innovative technology start-up companies and advanced technology consumers. CIT's CAGE Code is 1UP71.
