Transforming care and outcomes in traumatic brain injury
The Massey TBI Grand Challenge program was made possible through the support of the Joyce and Don Massey Family Foundation.
The Massey TBI Grand Challenge is a powerful funding avenue for multidisciplinary critical care research teams that supports the development of diagnostic, device, therapeutic, or health IT solutions addressing the initial ‘golden hours’ of care after severe traumatic brain injury.
The Grand Challenge framework addresses the barriers between concept and realization by providing unique tools and resources to funded teams. The process includes education sessions, two rounds of detailed proposal submissions, and project reviews by TBI experts from across the nation including U-M, industry, and the Department of Defense.
One gift, endless breakthroughs.
The Massey TBI Grand Challenge is made possible through the generous support of the Joyce and Don Massey Family Foundation.
Since 2015, the foundation’s support has enabled us to bring together experts from around the world, share knowledge, and spark rapid-fire innovation across the field of TBI.
The TBI Grand Challenge is one of 3 programs under the Massey TBI umbrella, which also includes the Massey TBI Conference and Joyce Massey TBI Summit.
Scoring Criteria
The Massey TBI Grand Challenge accepts both new projects as well as competitive renewals (previous Grand Challenge awardees applying for follow-on funding). Please be sure to submit your proposal using the correct template on Competition Space. Submission links will be made available following the March 12 kickoff event.
NEW PROJECTS
- Relevance to Massey TBI Grand Challenge Focus
- Does your project focus on a clinically important gap in the diagnosis, monitoring or treatment of severe TBI in the initial hours after injury?
- Clinical Impact
- If successful, would your project have significant clinical impact?
- Research Plan
- Will results of your study be reliable and actionable?
- Realistic Budget & Timeline
- Can results be achieved with the funds requested in the time allocated?
COMPETITIVE RENEWALS
- Research Plan
- Will results of this next stage of study be reliable and actionable?
- Project Management
- How has your team managed their past milestones and/or any issues that have arisen during the previous funding cycle?
- Progress Toward Commercialization and/or Follow-On Funding
- Is your project at a stage where Massey TBI Grand Challenge funding will move it closer toward commercialization or additional follow-on funding?
- Realistic Budget & Timeline
- Can results be achieved with the funds in the time allocated?
The Grand Challenge supports high-impact proposals by funding milestone-driven research over a 12-month timeframe. To be successful, teams must:
- Think inside and outside the box and propose high risk, high reward projects that specifically address the needs of patients with traumatic brain injury
- Multidisciplinary teams of researchers are favored
- Projects with more viable plans for acceleration are favored – work must lead to a next significant level/step to bedside (i.e. jump form rodent to large animal, jump from large animal to clinical feasibility, etc.)
- A product, method, process, must be proposed (not typical discovery basic science)
- Does not have to have intellectual property (questions about IP can be directed to Weil’s Commercialization Coach, Jay Semerad – [email protected])
- Need help finding an interdisciplinary team? Through our network of members, we can help connect you with the right Co-PI for your project.
- The Weil team will review proposals before submission for any teams interested in receiving feedback. Proposals must be emailed to [email protected].
- Mentors and coaches will continue to collaborate with project teams after they have been funded.
- The Weil Institute will support and review quarterly progress reports, submitted to the Massey Oversight Committee.
- Our Commercialization Coach and team will work with teams as new inventions/IP is disclosed to the U-M Office of Innovation Partnerships in advance of a public disclosure and to make sure milestones are met.
- Our Proposal Development team can help teams with follow-on funding.
