WE-REACH

WE-REACH Opportunity Information

WE-REACH Opportunity Information

WE-REACH Funding and Support applications are released in the Fall and Winter quarters of the UW school year in collaboration with CoMotion. The WE-REACH Fall 2020 request for proposals (RFP) is no longer live. The declaration of intent was due on Friday August, 21. The RFP can still be seen at: WE-REACH Fall 2020 RFP.

Application tips and process details can be found here:  Tips for Teams Submitting Letters of Intent.

Proposal Format and Guidelines:

Proposal submissions must include the following information according to the format provided and should not exceed the stated page limits. Maintain 0.5-inch page margins throughout document and use no smaller than Arial 11pt. font. Convert proposal documents into a single PDF and upload to the “WE-REACH Application Portal” hosted by CoMotion at https://uwcomotion.chronus.com/.

I. Project basic information for WE-REACH proposalCover Page (1 page) – Provide the project title, names of the PI(s), budget amount requested, and a one-paragraph abstract of the project.

IA. WE-REACH Application Form (1 page) – Compliance and the Use of Human Subjects and/or Vertebrate Animals Departmental & Dean Authorization

II. Project basic information for WE-REACH proposal (6-page maximum; equal distribution between IIA & IIB recommended) – The WE-REACH program is focused on translational research and designed to accelerate commercialization of promising technologies into commercial products. Early stage research projects (i.e. hypothesis testing, R&D, or basic research) will not be considered.

Please use these headings in the body of your proposal and adhere to the page limits:

IIA. Project basic information for WE-REACH proposal

  1. Background: Describe the scope and nature of the problem the technology will be designed to address and give a brief description of the solution. Some elements to include are the disease burden, market space in which the product would operate, and comparison of your solution to the current and predicted standard of care, including target product profile if applicable.
  2. Unmet Need: Clearly state the unmet need being addressed by the technology and provide evidence to support the need from multiple stakeholder perspectives (ex. patient, clinician, payer).

3.a. Proposed Product/Solution: Describe the proposed solution, the setting in which it will be utilized (ICU, in-patient, out-patient, primary care physician, etc.), and the primary patient population / indication for use. Characterize the expected benefit from the technology and how it will enhance current or predicted (when this product will be on the market) standard of care or replace the current standard of care. What is the evidence to support the expected benefit?

3.b. Traction: Provide a brief synopsis of your preliminary data. Provide an overview of the envisioned product and the current state of technology development.

  1. Market Size: Define the total and addressable market size, and target price of the technology. Support your market size and descriptions with evidence about current technologies or approaches to address this indication. Define a specific patient segment of those suffering from the specific targeted disease. What are the market population trends and projections?
  2. Competitive Landscape: Define the competition mix (companies, products, substitutes and shifting landscape) for the technology. Think particularly about how the disease will be treated when the technology/product gets to market. How is the landscape shifting or projected to shift?
  3. Intellectual Property: What is the IP protection strategy for the technology (e.g. patent, copyright, trade secret, etc)? Include a list of the various types of IP filed or granted (There must be at least an invention disclosure filed with your institution’s Office of Technology Transfer to qualify for funding). Include the following information:
Patent application number, issued patent number, trademark registration number, copyright number, etc. Title: Status and date

 

 For a patent/patent application the major types of claims

 

 

  1. Differentiation: Explain how the proposed technology is better than current options/technologies and is an advancement in the current market direction. Provide data to support this, and in lieu of actual data, describe what data would be needed to justify the differentiation. Describe how it’s better than current options/technologies, including those currently in clinical trials.
  2. Regulatory Path (if applicable): Describe the expected regulatory pathway for the technology and identify which FDA division will regulate the technology. Describe foreseeable regulatory risks or accelerated programs that could impact the technology development. Comment on the clinical trials considerations and how those might impact the regulatory approach. Please also include information on technologies that are currently in development.
  3. Reimbursement Path (if applicable): Define similar product(s)/service(s) that is (are) currently being covered for the indication your technology targets and identify relevant CPT/DRG/APC Codes and their reimbursement rates. If no code exists, how will the technology be paid for?
  4. Commercialization Potential and Follow-On Funding: What are the next steps in technology and/or business development for this technology after WE-REACH and the plan for funding these activities? Identify how much funding is needed to get the technology to a viable ‘exit’ or inflection point for commercial investment. What is the likely commercialization strategy for the envisioned product? What are the perceived barriers to commercialization?

IIB. Project Plan for WE-REACH support

  1. Project Plan: Provide a brief outline of your overall project plan including key intermediate milestones and the final goal to be achieved at the completion of the project. State the metrics that will be used to determine if each of the aims and milestones has been met (e.g. “What does success look like?”). Identify go/no-go decision points and potential pivot points within the plan. Explain how this project plan fits into the overall product development plan? Explain how achievement of each milestone increases the value of the technology.

The WE-REACH Executive Committee will be reviewing this section with the following questions in mind: Is the research plan based on sound principles? Is the research plan feasible? Is the research plan clearly presented? Have your animal models and other experiments been vetted by regulatory consultants and/or experts from industry and investors? Does the research plan address the key outstanding risk?

  1. Potential Risks and Mitigations: Define the potential risks (scientific, technical, personnel, market, and commercialization) that exist for the product development and the mitigation processes available to the innovator team or in place to correct for these.

III. Supporting Documents (not included in 6-page limit)

  1. References
  2. Personnel and description of their roles in the proposed project; plus Biosketch

Outline the relevant skills, experience, and roles of the individuals working on the project, both during the award period and after while the technology is being further commercialized. Does the application include collaboration with a clinical investigator who interacts with patients and/or conducts clinical research?

Provide the institutional affiliation, role, and relevant background and expertise of the individuals on the team. Include NIH format biosketches for key personnel, https://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm.

3. Additional information

  • Milestones & Timeline—Milestones, Timeline

Please include proposed milestones using the Milestones Template provided (final budget approved by Project Manager). You have the flexibility to build the plan you feel you will need to complete the proposed milestones. Projects are anticipated in the $100-200k range, though larger and smaller requests will be considered.

  • Revised Lean Canvas
  • Customer Discovery Forms