Eligibility

Faculty Collaboration:

  • Coulter-funded projects require Co-PI collaborations between at least one UM faculty healthcare provider (physicians, nurses, or dentists) and at least one UM College of Engineering faculty member. The Coulter Assoc. Dir. of Engineering may serve as COE PI if clinicians are not working with a COE Co-PI.
  • Only full-time faculty at the University of Michigan may apply.

Project Scope:

  • The project must relate directly to the development of medical devices and medical device/therapeutic combination products.

Intellectual Property Status:

  • Faculty must have submitted an invention disclosure with the Innovation Partnerships, have a patent application filed, or have an issued patent.
  • IP will need to be managed by UM.

Applicants are requested to schedule a meeting with the Coulter team prior to proposal submission to explore fit for Coulter support and funding. Please reach out to Thomas Marten, Managing Director, Coulter Program (tmarten@umich.edu to schedule a meeting

Each project funded through Coulter will need to demonstrate:

  • A clearly envisioned medical device product concept with an intended use to address a clearly defined unmet clinical need.
  • Scientific merit behind the product concept to justify product development.
  • Novel IP that is owned or solely managed by UM and is at the pre-license stage. 
  • Minimum of Invention disclosure on-file with the UM Office of Innovation Partnerships and Innovation Partnerships commitment to file a patent application.
  • Industry or investor early interest in commercializing the envisioned product concept.
  • Interdisciplinary Engineering and Clinical faculty partnership with relevant expertise.
  • Faculty willingness to work with the Coulter team and Coulter strategic partners as a combined new product planning and development team.
  • Translational research plans to de-risk any key remaining technical hurdles leading directly into early-stage product development under the guidance from and in conjunction with the Coulter Program.
  • Strong potential for reaching an exit to a commercial entity:
    • Direct licensing of technology IP by a medical device or diagnostics company who complete development and commercialize the envisioned product OR
    • A clear path to company formation with angel or venture capital financing.

Proposals demonstrating the ability to meet these objectives will receive greater consideration for support and funding awards.