Technology Transfer Office Information For:
 
 


POC Grant Program (POCg) for Renewable Energy- Research Funding Sponsored by the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Initiative (RASEI) and CU TTO

Introduction
Program Requirements
Key Questions to Consider
Selection Process
How to Apply
TTO Contacts


Introduction

The CU Cleantech has pledged to support the Market Assessment Programand Proof of Concept Grants to enable the further development and validation of promising CU Boulder renewable energy technologies. Proposals for POC funding are by invitation to investigators who have successfully developed a clear commercial path for the technology through the Market Assessment Program (MAP). Even if you already have detailed market knowledge, it is still highly encouraged to go through the MAP program prior to applying for POC funding.

Renewable energy POCg awards can be in amounts up to $50,000.  Applications for POCg awards are submitted to CU Cleantech, which reviews the proposals in conjunction with TTO.

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Program Requirements

  • Applicants must be invited by CU Cleantech to apply prior to submitting a proposal.
  • POCg proposals must be based on intellectual property created at the University of Colorado at Boulder and related to the development of clean, renewable energies, energy efficiency and natural resource management. Possible areas include
    • Alternative Fuel (e.g. hydrogen) Production and Utilization
    • Biofuels and Biorefining
    • Carbon Capture and Sequestration
    • Demand Side Management Strategies
    • Energy Conservation Technologies or Strategies Energy Efficient Buildings
    • Energy Efficient Industrial Processes
    • Energy Storage, Distribution and Transmission
    • Nanoscience, Materials and Catalysis
    • Smart Grid Technologies
    • Solar Energy Conversion
    • Wind Energy
  • In order to apply, a complete Invention Submission Form describing the subject of technology must have been filed with CU’s Technology Transfer Office.
  • POCg funds must be used for research that will take the technology in a step towards commercialization.  This may include work such as prototype development or the collection of data to demonstrate the economic benefits of the technology such as efficiency gains or feasibility at a larger scale, software optimization, and other advanced pre-commercial research. The project should produce a significant step towards commercialization, and should be completed within a 12 month timeframe.

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Key Questions to Consider

  • What is the technical merit of the invention and the current state of development? If the project aims are achieved, how will the state of the art be advanced?
  • What is the commercial potential for the technology? How can the proposed project lead to a marketable product, process, or service?
  • What are the competitive advantages of the technology? How sustainable are those advantages? What may be the anticipated commercial and societal benefit derived from the proposed research?
  • Can the invention be practiced freely or would commercialization require additional licenses from other companies/institutions?
  • How would the POCg funds be applied to advance the technical or scientific aspects of the invention? What specific experiments or product development activities would be enabled by the POCg award? How would those results affect the commercial viability of the invention?
  • Would successful completion of the proposed research position the technology to be licensed to an established firm? Alternatively, could the invention become the core technology of a new company, and how would completion of the research position the new company to attract additional funding, such as the POCi, SBIR/STTR, or angel/VC investment?

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Selection Process

The POCg is a research grant to enhance the commercial potential of CU inventions. Applicants should stress the potential for each award to bridge the gap between promising academic research and commercial application.

POCg applications are judged by CU Cleantech and the on the value proposition for the use of the funds, i.e. validating the commercial opportunity and advancing the technology to the marketplace.

Criteria:

  • Building on a previously funded research program
  • Societal impact of product or service
  • Stage of development
  • Clarity of commercial development
  • Impact of funding on advancement
  • Market potential

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How to Apply:

  1. Applicants must be invited by CU Cleantech to submit a proposal.
  2. Make sure you have filed an Invention Submission Form with the TTO. 
  3. RReview the selection criteria above and contact your TTO case manager and CU Cleantech representative for feedback on the next commercial steps for the technology and how this project would get us to the next step. 
  4. Download this POCg Application Template and complete them as your application.
  5. Send a copy of the proposal to Trent Yang (trent.yang@colorado.edu, 303.492.4645) and your TTO case manager.
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TTO Contact

For questions and assistance concerning the POCg application process and criteria, please contact Trent Yang (trent.yang@colorado.edu, 303.492.4645) or Kate Tallman (Kate.Tallman@cu.edu, 303-492-5732).

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NOTE:THIS PROPOSAL MAY BE MADE PUBLIC.  PLEASE ATTACH ALL CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION IN A SEPARATE APPENDIX OR REFER TO THE INVNETION SUBMISSION FORM FOR ANY NOVEL AND, PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED IDEAS.