UMass Amherst Accelerating Research Translation

We kick off the first Idea Dinner-IMAGINE! Karen Utgoff, co-PI for UMass Amherst ART and Laura Burnham, both facilitators of the training sub-team, lead the workshop. Students joined from multiple disciplines, all over campus, to practice an?industry-inspired?approach to applying research, inventions, and know-how to real-world challenges. We had a great time exploring ideas and experiencing new ways to approach real-world challenges. Please join us for the next Idea Dinner on April 2, 2025. https://lnkd.in/ebjQPKkR

Congratulations to Hasentech for being one of the winners in the?2024 Seed Translational Research Project (STRP) funding to faculty-led teams aiming to advance UMass research towards solutions to real-world unmet needs. Hasentech aims to exploit the anti-inflammatory properties of a novel exopolysaccharide produced by a harmless soil bacterium to dampen inflammation in diseases including inflammatory bowel disease, asthma and graft versus host disease. Its STRP will fund “Developing a Safe Therapeutic to Dampen Pathological Inflammation in Graft Versus Host Disease” and was awarded to co-founder Barbara Osborne, professor emerita of veterinary and animal sciences. University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Natural Sciences at UMass Amherst

Congratulations to Nalam Therapeutics for being one of the winners in the?2024 Seed Translational Research Project (STRP) funding to faculty-led teams aiming to advance UMass research towards solutions to real-world unmet needs. Nalam Therapeutics is focused on developing a proprietary antibody nanogel conjugate platform for cancer treatment. Its STRP, “Developing a Proprietary Antibody Nanogel Conjugate (ANC) Platform for the Treatment of Cancer” was awarded to founder S Thai Thayumanavan, department head of UMass Biomedical Engineering and distinguished professor of chemistry. University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Natural Sciences at UMass Amherst

Karen Utgoff, co-PI for UMass Amherst ART and the director of UMass Amherst Institute for Applied Life Sciences Venture Development facilitated a workshop, “Elevator Pitches for Every Career Opportunity and Occasion,” to graduate students in the Biotechnology Training Program (BTP). In this workshop the common misconception that you need an elevator pitch we debunked. In fact, one is just the starting point and never enough! This workshop provided an opportunity for students to learn how to develop the right elevator pitch for company recruiters, thought leaders in their field, and others they want to engage. Thank you Bailee Underwood and Jeanne Hardy, PhD Hardy for inviting us! #innovation #training

Congratulations to Tova for being one of the winners in the?2024 Seed Translational Research Project (STRP) funding to faculty-led teams aiming to advance UMass research towards solutions to real-world unmet needs. Tova uses technology and data to revolutionize the way water resources are managed. STRP will fund “Creating a Global Water Sustainability Tool Using Deep Learning Applied to Existing Geophysical Data” and was awarded to Casey Brown, professor of civil and environmental engineering and co-founder and chief science officer of Tova. University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Engineering, UMass Amherst

The?STRP Translational Seed Awards?provide up to $100,000 in funding to help researchers bridge the gap between discovery and application—advancing startups, licensing innovations, and delivering societal benefits. Meet the first round of awardees who are driving progress in biotechnology, cancer therapy, and climate-tech: Barbara Osborne from HasenTech Inc. S Thai Thayumanavan from Nalam Therapeutics Casey Brown from Tova Earth These projects exemplify the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit at UMass Amherst, paving the way for transformative solutions that improve lives and address global challenges while having societal impacts. Congratulations to all the STRP awardees. Click on the link below to read all about their work:

??We're hiring - my awesome team at UMass Amherst Accelerating Research Translation is looking for a Training Coordinator to design and execute educational and professional development programs for faculty, postdocs, and students. Check it out! #CareerOpportunities #TrainingCoordinator #InnovationEconomy #ResearchTranslation #UMassAmherst

Join our team! We are looking for a training coordinator to facilitate and execute educational and professional development training offerings for faculty, postdoctoral, and student researchers to prepare them for careers in the ‘innovation economy’ as part of the National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded UMass Amherst Accelerating Research Translation Research Translation (ART) project award to University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst.?

Dr. Pradeep Fulay, Program Director for the Directorate for Technology and Partnerships at the National Science Foundation (NSF), came for a site visit this week to learn what University of Massachusetts Amherst has been doing to accelerate research translation on campus. The ART team, which includes the PI, Co-PIs and seven sub-team leads, presented their progress and discussed future plans. UMass Amherst’s first cohort of ART STRP awardees shared their project milestones and plans for positive societal impact.?It was a very rewarding day for all. Thank you Pradeep for taking the time to meet with us in person! We hope you enjoyed your visit to western Massachusetts. #researchtranslation #societalimpact #inclusiveinnovation #artstrp

NSF Accelerating Research Translation award brings new resources to campus innovators. A team from the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s UMass Institute for Applied Life Sciences (IALS), Technology Transfer Office, Office of Research & Engagement and the Office of the Provost has won a $6 million Accelerating Research Translation (ART) award from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to support and expand faculty and student researchers’ efforts to translate research conducted in campus laboratories into tangible solutions to real-world problems. The award is one of 18 nationwide that have been announced in the program’s inaugural year, and the only award made in New England. #researchtranslation #societalimpact #inclusiveinnovation