Biomedical Research and Commercialization Program FAQ
What is the page limit for an RCP Proposal?
Page limits are listed in the RFP (Section 5.4 Page Limitations) for all sections to be included in a Proposal. Any pages
beyond the page limit listed for each section will be eliminated from the Proposal before it is sent for technical review and evaluation.
In an industry-lead Proposal, what is the preferred split (if any) of funding between the lead industry and an academic partner?
There is no preferred split, as the funding should be focused on what will make sense for the execution of the Project in terms of
achievement of the technical milestones and the commercialization objectives.
Is priority consideration given to prior projects funded through the Third Frontier BRCP with an existing structure of Collaborators?
Not necessarily. For every round of funding, Third Frontier RFPs are meant for already recognized leaders in their field and very
well-established research programs. Those having received prior Third Frontier funding have the added burden of demonstrating in their
Proposal that they achieved what they previously said they were going to achieve for any prior Third Frontier Grant(s).
Given that each Biosciences RCP Proposal involves a collaboration between an industry partner and a research institution, does the
Biosciences RCP administration have a preference as to which group leads the Proposal?
No, but industrial leads are encouraged.
Where do you find State and Regional priorities, especially Regional priorities?
Review the Entrepreneurial Signature Program (ESP) at www. thirdfrontier.com, which will help determine the regional priorities that
were developed under the round of ESP funding. Additionally, you will find regional information in the Deloitte study available in the
publication section of www.thirdfrontier.com.
It is important to understand that ODOD does not want you to just go out and find a citation. We want you to be part of the strategic economic
development of the region. (And show us that in Central Ohio it is imaging, in NE Ohio it is cardiovascular, etc.)
Should applicants contact their respective Entrepreneurial Signature Program and regional science and technology organization representatives regarding regional priorities?
Yes. Again, ODOD does not want you to just say you are linked to a regional priority, but we want you to be part of that regional priority.
Can we have a program with two lead organizations? Co-leaders? One for-profit and one not-for-profit?
You can have two co-equal organizations; however, the formatting of the Proposal is not set up for this situation.
There needs to be one institution on the cover page that is considered the lead. Only one institution is
responsible in terms of who ODOD deals with in regard to the Grant Agreement and who we deal with in terms of
payments, invoicing and reports. Thus, it is one organization that is responsible for meeting the terms and
conditions of the Grant.
Please comment on the potential for funding an individual pharmaceutical.
An individual pharmaceutical is not excluded from potential funding. However, the issue is whether this type of
Proposal could win, given its inherent risk. Historically, there have not been many awards of this type. A single
drug carries the disadvantage of high risk, while a family of drugs would have more diversity in terms of
possibilities. Additionally, a single drug might be too far down in the Commercialization Framework, outside the
target of this Program. Overall, this would be a high-risk proposition.
Will Third Frontier fund the development of the next generation of a product that is already being sold? Does product enhancement qualify for Third Frontier funding?
This most likely will not qualify. If you are talking about a simple re-engineering or exclusive market
re-orientation, there must be an R&D component to qualify for Third Frontier funding.
Related to Cost Share, if we have an institution with NIH grant funding for a project, can it count towards the match?
Look at the RFP in terms of what is said about other Grant funds that are related or similar to your RCP project. Being related or
similar is not enough; rather, it needs to be directly in support of the work that is occurring under the umbrella that we have funded.
The Cost Share must be expended during the period of the Third Frontier-funded Project. For example, expenses from an NIH grant that started two years
ago could not count as Cost Share. Only those expenses from time of the award through the Project Period of the Third Frontier Grant count as Cost Share.
The device development for human use is required to go through FDA approval for a lengthy period of time. Could you give us your views on expectations on such Proposals?
For devices requiring clinical data, the project must be sufficiently advanced at the end of the three year grant period that the
investigators are in the process of submitting an Investigational Device Exemption application to the FDA. For other devices, the
investigators are in the process of submitting a Premarket Notification [510(k)] to the FDA at the conclusion of the three year grant period.
Are there any Cost Share limitations from Collaborators if historically their services have been provided to the Lead Applicant for an equity share in the Lead Applicant?
If you have a way to document what the fair market value of those sevices would have otherwise been, that is acceptable. In
general, this scenario has to be backed up by some otherwise forgone fee or cost that would have been otherwise reimbursed.
What percentage of the Collaborators who provide Cost Share have to be Ohio-based?
The percentage of Ohio-based Collaborators is not pre-determined. However, it is not usually advantageous to have a Collaborator
outside of Ohio receiving significant Third Frontier funding. Typically, if Third Frontier dollars are going out of the State it
is hard to understand what the benefit would be to Ohio. If out-of-state dollars are coming into the State, this situation is
certainly acceptable on the surface. However, with this type of relationship the question becomes "will the commercialization
take place outside the State?" Out-of-state Collaborators are not precluded, but the posed challenge is to demonstrate that
particular Collaborator's benefit to Ohio.
For a project that was conceived at a university, and the core research and discovery engine is at the university, will it
be a disadvantage for the university to act as the Lead Applicant rather than the key industry/commercialization partner?
This depends on where in the Commercialization Framework the technology falls. If there is still a significant amount of R&D
occurring that the university is actively engaged and involved in, it would make sense to continue on as the lead. However,
if the project is at a point where transition is beginning, the commercial partner could potentially be the lead.
Given two Proposals of equal merit, will one with an industry company as a Lead Applicant be given preference for funding over one led by an academic institution?
It comes down to being able to prove to the reviewers your commercialization potential, your commercialization record, and
your demonstrated ability to execute a commercialization plan. All things being equal, an academic institution is
disadvantaged unless there is someone on the project with commercialization experience to carry the project to market.
What sort of training do the technical reviewers get before beginning the review process? Do they simply go off the RFP?
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has a significant track record in terms of their work in reviewing Proposals. The reviewers
will receive the RFP and will receive consultation from ODOD staff with regards of what to focus on. Additionally, ODOD will be present during review processes.
Does NAS use a scoring sheet?
No.
In regards to a $2 million Proposal versus a $5 million Proposal, will an evaluation be based on economic impact per dollar invested? Or, will it be based on total impact?
Evaluations will be based on total impact for each proposed Project.
Are headers and footers allowed to be in the page margins, or do they have to be 3/4" from the edge too?
Headers or footers identifying your proposal can be in the margins. Additionally, there are no limits placed on works cited
at the end of your proposal narrative. However, do not include a reference to another source (e.g. a website) at the end of the document.
Is it acceptable for the lead "for-profit" to provide cash match and Collaborators to provide only "in-kind" match?
Yes, that is acceptable.
With respect to proprietary designation, can a Proposal indicate proprietary information by font or italics and note such at the beginning?
If any information in the Proposal is to be treated as a trade secret, the Proposal must: Identify each and every occurrence of the
information within the Proposal with an asterisk before and after each line containing trade secret information and underline the trade
secret information itself; Check the "Trade Secret Information Included" box on the Application Information Page; and, Include a page
immediately after the Application Information Page that lists each page in the Proposal that includes trade secret information and the
number of occurrences of trade secret information on that page. The directions for this are in the RFP.
Is there any limit to the number of Proposals from any single institution?
No, there is no limit.
Is IRB approval of human subjects research required in advance for Proposal submission?
IRB approval is not required in advance for Proposal submission, but it is required in advance of doing the work.
Does the Third Frontier prefer Proposals including multiple academic institutions?
The Third Frontier prefers Proposals with academic and commercial collaboration. The Third Frontier is looking
for the best possible combination of people to be approaching a problem. If the best combination means multiple
institutions, that is acceptable. However, multiple academic institutions working together for no particular reason
or benefit will not gain points.
If the project includes a partnership between an equipment vendor and academic institution, can a discount on equipment purchased by an institution be included in Cost Share?
The discount has to exceed what is considered standard. If the vendor offers this discount as a normal course of
doing business, this will not be considered as Cost Share. If the vendor is engaged in your project and offering
you some sort of special waiver beyond the normal discounting process, then that would be acceptable.
To what extent will significant job growth be a real factor?
The review will look at the ability of the institution to execute; specifically, the commercialization component and the potential for job growth and creation.
How does the ODOD Ohio Innovation Loan we already received help us?
Only what you accomplished with that loan is to your benefit. Otherwise, it will not provide you preference/assistance in obtaining RCP funding.
Given past winners, how would you gauge the importance of economic development (job growth, high paying jobs) versus "game changing technology"?
The Third Frontier Commission is looking at the RCP funding as a portfolio. There is a need to emphasize activities that will generate employment,
revenue, etc. At the same time, we want to be risk-takers in the State. As an applicant, try to differentiate on one of those dimensions and go to
one extreme or the other. Both components are desired in the overall portfolio.
Out of the 5-7 awards, how are they divided up? For example, could biomechanical engineering only be eligible for one award or could Proposals from biomechanical engineering receive all five awards?
There is no preset determination. For example, Third Frontier opted not to fund any projects one year. The Third Frontier will make the most with the funds available.
Are there any changes in timing being contemplated?
No.
Where do I find the best definition of "bioscience"?
Refer to the enabling legislation of the Biomedical Research and Technology Transfer Trust Fund. Generally, though, bioscience is considered the study of life and living organisms.
Does the $26 million for the Bio RCP include advanced materials?
No. Advanced materials would fall under the Engineering & Physical Sciences RCP.
How do you accommodate an interdisciplinary proposal; in other words, a project that is 2/3 physical science and 1/3 bioscience?
A Lead Applicant must make the choice whether to submit for the Bio or Engineering and Physical Sciences RCP. The level of competition is about the same in each Program.
Can a government organization be a Collaborator?
Yes, a government agency is acceptable. By ODOD's standards, a Collaborator receives dollars or provides Cost Share. Thus, a federal
organization would qualify if it demonstrates the ability to meet the RFP's definition of a Collaborator.
In addition, Proposals may also include one or more committed end-users. A
committed end-user is a business or governmental entity that has a commercial
interest in, and can anticipate commercial benefit from, the results of the proposed
Project. A committed end-user may submit a letter of support consistent with the
directions of the RFP.
