SUBJECT:    PSOM Limited Application - 2021 Moore Inventor Fellows    Program     
TO:                 School of Medicine Faculty

FROM:          Katherine L. Nathanson, MD and Scott D. Halpern, MD, PhD 

                        Co-Chairs, PSOM Limited Applications Selection Committee

DATE:           September 24, 2020

                    

The University has been invited to submit 2 applications to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Inventor Fellows Program. The Foundation seeks to identify outstanding inventors and innovators who harness science and technology to enhance the conduct of scientific research, strengthen environmental conservation, or improve the experience and outcomes of patient care.

 

The Moore Inventor Fellows program focuses on supporting scientist-inventors at a critical prototyping stage to capture opportunities that otherwise might be missed. It seeks to provide freedom and support to promising inventors with the most compelling ideas to pursue creative and disruptive innovations.

• 2021 Guidelines are attached

• Moore FAQs are available at https://www.moore.org/docs/default-source/moore-inventor-fellows/moore-inventor-fellows_faq_2020.pdf

 

Each school within the University may submit two candidates to the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR). A committee established by OVPR will determine the final nominees to represent the University. (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is also an invited institution and faculty based at the hospital should apply through CHOP and may not apply through both CHOP and PSOM.)

 

Program Description:

Important information from the guidelines:

     “The scope of this call is intentionally wide: proposed projects do not need to fall within the Moore Foundation’s current funding priorities, but should be broadly within the program areas of foundation interest (science, environmental conservation and patient care) For patient care, inventions should resonate with our focus on improving the experience and outcomes of patients with solutions that improve clinical diagnosis.        

      We aim to support inventions at an early stage that could lead to proof-of-concept work on an invention promise of making a long-lasting impact by addressing underlying problems in their field, but a clear path toward commercialization is not a requirement. We are not interested in supporting projects that are already at a stage where significant venture capital is available. As with all our grants, we seek to measure progress toward a defined goal during the three years of support. The foundation’s policy is that intellectual property that results from a grant must be managed and disseminated in a manner that leads to the greatest impact. Each award will include IP terms to reflect the needs of that project.

      We recognize that real invention can take surprising turns, so we seek creative individuals who have big ideas, deep knowledge and the courage to take smart risks. We recognize that inventors and innovators come from a diversity of backgrounds, disciplines and experiences, and seek creative individuals across a broad array of academic programs and research departments. Examples of such programs include, but are not limited to environmental science and conservation, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, big data, climatology, emerging infectious diseases, oceanography, biology, engineering, physics, chemistry, materials science, neuroscience, and public health.”

 

From FAQ: “Proposed research should not include clinical trials and awarded funds should not be used to cover clinical trials.”

 

Eligibility:

• Candidates must be faculty, research scientists, postdocs, or other full-time staff at eligible institutions.
• Candidates must be no more than ten years past receiving the terminal advanced degree in their field (M.S., Ph.D. or M.D.).   See FAQ for exceptions for clinical training for physicians.

• Important note: Host institutions will be required to make a contribution of $50,000 in annual support of the inventor’s work. This can be “in kind” as released time or access to special facilities for which there is normally a charge. Each fellow will be personally engaged in pursuing their invention and is required to devote at least 25 percent of his/her own time to their invention. Fellows may use the grant funds to support their own salary to create this opportunity. They may also hire research personnel and purchase services, equipment, or supplies. ($50,000 could include support for undergraduate or graduate students, equipment, supplies and other needs that will enable the fellow to make progress on their work.  Direct salary support is acceptable provided it includes a proportionate release of time from teaching or other duties. Funds that were designated for a fellow’s use before the fellow was awarded a Moore Inventor Fellowship (such as start-up funds) do not qualify.) See internal submission requirements below.

 

Award Amount:

• $200,000 per year for three years. 
• Foundation will provide the host institution with $25,000 each year to cover costs associated with administering the grant award, resulting in a total 3-year award of $675,000. 

 

PSOM Review Process: 

Proposals for the internal competition will be evaluated using the Moore criteria:

Inventor:

• Demonstrated creative potential
• Strong technical ability for the proposed line of work

Invention:

• Potential Impact of the proposed invention
• Plausibility of this invention to achieve the stated impact
• The potential for measurable progress within a 3-year period

• Importance of the invention in areas of interest to the Moore Foundation - science, environmental conservation, or patient care
• Invention at an early stage that requires this funding for rapid progress
• Potential scale of impact
• Ability of dedicated funding and time to propel this innovation to the next stage of development; commercialization is not a requirement
• Strength of the institution’s commitment to the applicant’s invention activities

 

PSOM Submission Requirements:

Each nomination must include the following materials:

• Cover page with nominee’s name, degrees, date of terminal degree, department, school, email address and phone number, proposal title
• Letter of support from department chair/division chief. Letter must confirm that the inventor has at least 25 percent of their time to devote to their invention and $50,000 in annual direct support of the inventor’s work.
• Statement of invention (no more than two pages, including citations; single-spaced, 12-point font with one-inch margins). The first paragraph should describe clearly and without jargon the invention, the problem it seeks to address and its potential impact. The statement of invention should also include the following information:
  • Description of invention (main idea)
  • Importance to science, environmental conservation or patient care (please select one choice under the basic nominee section)
  • Stage of invention
  • Current funding: existing or planned funding
  • Feasibility
  • Potential impact of the invention
  • Approach for measuring progress during the grant term

• Summary CV (no more than two pages):

                       I. Educational and professional background

                       II. Key accomplishments, honors and demonstrated areas of  expert knowledge

                       III. Other background information relevant to this invention

 

Applications must be submitted in a single pdf file in the above order.  Subject line of email as well as pdf document should be Moore_Inventors_PI surname_PI first name, e.g.  Moore_Inventors_Smith_Jane.  Please submit all materials to Connie Weinstein at clw@pennmedicine.upenn.edu  by 9:00 A.M. on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020.  Questions can also be directed to Connie at clw@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.

 

You may also link to the Inventor Fellows site at https://www.moore.org/initiative-strategy-detail?initiativeId=moore-inventor-fellows

or link to a list of Moore 2020 awardees:  https://www.moore.org/article-detail?newsUrlName=gordon-and-betty-moore-foundation-announces-2020-moore-inventor-fellows