The deadline for submitting executive proposals to the Israel-US National Industrial Research Development (BIRD) Foundation is March 14.

The BIRD Foundation works to encourage cooperation between Israeli and American companies in the various areas of technology, and provides assistance in locating strategic partners from both countries for developing joint products.  Approaching its 35^th birthday, the BIRD Foundation has invested in close to 830 projects, which have yielded revenues of about $8 billion.

The BIRD Foundation supports projects without receiving any rights in the participating companies or in the project itself. The financial assistance is repaid as royalties from sales. The Foundation provides support of up to 50 percent of a project’s budget, beginning with R&D and ending with the initial stages of sales and marketing.  The Foundation shares the risk and does not demand that the investment be repaid if the project fails to reach the sales stage.

The BIRD Foundation works in full cooperation with the Chief Scientist’s Office at the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Labor in Israel, and with the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

CLICK HERE to learn more.

The following agencies presently have open solicitations:

Department of Homeland Security SBIR 2012.1, Science & Technology Directorate 

Proposals due 1/5/12
https://www.fbo.gov/download/023/023c14f3a21b67b078c853a76c276c5d/FY12_1_SBIR_DHS_SBIR-2012.1.pdf

Department  of Defense 2012.1 SBIR
Proposals due 1/11/12
http://www.acq.osd.mil/osbp/sbir/solicitations/sbir20121/index.shtml

Department of Energy SBIR/STTR 2012 Release 2
Letter of intent due 12/20/11
Proposals due 1/31/12

http://science.energy.gov/sbir/

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 2012 SBIR,
Proposals due 2/1/12

https://www.fbo.gov/utils/view?id=e884bfa7a779d9468a0a18d1f3bfcaa4

Special NIH SBIR/STTR Initiatives (PAs & RFAs)
In addition to the main PHS/NIH SBIR/STTR grant solicitation and their fall contract solicitation, NIH issues numerous small solicitations throughout the year focused on specific health related areas.  They are listed at : http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/sbir_announcements.htm

The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to helping develop better treatments for Parkinson’s patients and, ultimately, curing the disease.  Please visit the Michael J. Fox Foundation to learn more.

Target Validation

• MJFF’s Target Validation program provides support for work demonstrating whether modulation of a novel biological target has impact in a PD-relevant pre-clinical model — an essential step to the development of potential targeted therapies
• Pre-Proposal Receipt Date: November 29, 2011
• http://www.michaeljfox.org/research_openFundingPrograms_program.cfm?ID=45

Therapeutics Development Initiative (TDI)

• MJFF’s TDI program provides industry-exclusive support for preclinical development of Parkinson’s disease therapies with potential to fundamentally alter disease course and/or improve treatment of symptoms above and beyond current standards of care
• Pre-Proposal Receipt Date: November 29, 2011
• http://www.michaeljfox.org/research_openFundingPrograms_program.cfm?ID=46

Repositioning Drugs for PD

• MJFF’s TDI program provides support for repositioning of compounds proven safe in the clinic, or through FDA approval, to PD research.  Both pre-clinical and clinical applications are accepted for this program.
• Pre-Proposal Receipt Date: December 15, 2011
• http://www.michaeljfox.org/research_openFundingPrograms_program.cfm?ID=51

MJFF’s Rolling Programs

Rapid Response Innovation Awards (RRIA)

• Funding from MJFF’s Rapid Response Innovation Awards program quickly supports high-risk, high-reward projects with little to no existing preliminary data, but potential to significantly impact our understanding or treatment of PD
• http://www.michaeljfox.org/research_openFundingPrograms_program.cfm?ID=49

Biomarker Development Critical Challenge

• MJFF’s Biomarker Development program provides investigators an opportunity to propose project ideas focused on biomarker discovery and optimization that will ultimately be utilized to improve clinical trials
• http://www.michaeljfox.org/research_openFundingPrograms_program.cfm?ID=37

LRRK2 Critical Challenge

• MJFF’s LRRK2 Challenge program provides investigators an opportunity to propose project ideas focused on LRRK2 understanding and/or therapeutic development
• http://www.michaeljfox.org/research_openFundingPrograms_program.cfm?ID=38

Dyskinesia Critical Challenge

• Via the Dyskinesia Critical Challenge, MJFF wishes to engage researchers and drug makers focused on studying and/or therapeutically treating levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID)
• http://www.michaeljfox.org/research_openFundingPrograms_program.cfm?ID=39