TRANSLATING INNOVATIVE IDEAS FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD AWARDS
(TIIP)
Applications Due Friday, April 5th, 11:59 PM
PURPOSE
Innovate Carolina and the Translating Innovative Ideas for
the Public Good (TIIP) Awards are aligned with the University’s strategic
priority to conduct game-changing research and innovate for the public good,
and to bring health and prosperity to the citizens of the state, nation, and
beyond. Innovate Carolina’s unit of
Design and Innovation for the Public Good is providing early-stage support for
innovative projects with the clear goals of co-creating, testing, and scaling
human centered ideas that will provide public benefit and societal
impact.
Awards are open to any UNC faculty, staff, or venture team
that is developing an idea, project, or company that will translate the
University’s best ideas to benefit the state of North Carolina and
beyond. Changemakers, investigators and community engaged researchers in
both not for profit and for-profit models are welcome to apply.
Register
HERE for a virtual Information Session for prospective applicants on Wed,
March 6th at 4pm.
CRITERIA
Priority will be given to projects that best demonstrate the potential
to translate new ideas into desirable, feasible, and viable solutions that
address problems of critical importance for the people of North Carolina and
beyond. Proposals that take novel approaches
and include at least five (5) of the following criteria in a variety of ways are
encouraged:
- Project designs that demonstrate a human centered process
of co-creation and/or the opportunities to integrate user or community insights
into the design and testing of an idea, tool, technology, or device.
- The ability to advance early-stage higher risk ideas
through a clear plan of testing and prototyping,
- Potential to scale human centered solutions to
communities and populations throughout the state of North Carolina and beyond,
- Ideas that are desirable (people want or need it),
feasible (can be created or scaled with new or existing means or technology),
and viable (that it is sustainable).
- Teams and/or collaborators with the required skills and
experience to execute the project,
- Clear, measurable definitions of societal, community, or
economic benefits of the project
- Establishment or expansion of public and private
community partnerships that inform and advance the creation and/or scaling of
the project,
- Potential of sustainability and continued scale beyond
the funded project period, and
- Development of intellectual property that may improve
public health or well-being.
BUDGET
We anticipate supporting up to six awards of up to $50,000
for a one-year project period between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. Project
award funding should be used to demonstrate a credible advancement of an idea
through the ideation, prototype, and implementation stages of the innovation
process. This may include user
interviews and insight collection, developing models and prototypes for
testing, creating materials to engage and inform potential or existing users
and community partners, developing a sustainable infrastructure of human,
technological, and intellectual capital, or securing technical or strategic
expertise to advance the idea. All
budgets should be well-aligned with the project scope, methods, and timeline. While there are no limits on the amount of
the proposed budget, requests for greater than $50,000 should include clear
justification of how the additional funding will create higher levels of
translation and/or sustained impact, as well as objective measures and
timelines to insure project progress and accountability. Requests for funding
staff salary support should be accompanied by a statement of how the funded
position will be supported and sustained after the project period or is only
necessary for the initial project period.
The use of Award funds for faculty salary support is not permissible.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The
following terms and conditions apply to all awards and award recipients:
- Any activity involving human subjects, such as surveys or
interviews, must be reviewed in accordance with the University’s IRB policies.
Approved copies of approval letters must be submitted to Innovate Carolina
- The award period is one (1) year. No-cost extensions
beyond the one-year project period are allowable with proper justification and
advance approval from Innovate Carolina. Unexpended funds will revert to
Innovate Carolina.
- All expenditures, including procurement of supplies and
travel authorizations, must adhere to the general policies of the University.
- A final report is due to Innovate Carolina within 30 days
of the conclusion of the approved or amended project period. This report should
include a summary of the project methods, budget reconciliation, achievement of
outcomes compared to proposed metrics and goals, how the project deviated from
the proposed execution or outcomes, and how the project will lead to future
work or advancements in the project area.
- Project awards will be distributed in two agreed upon
installments based on the satisfactory completion of agreed upon mid-term
project benchmarks and deliverables.
- Prior to the execution of the Award Agreement teams
selected for support will work with Innovate Carolina to establish a Project
Advisory Group to provide ongoing technical and operational guidance to their
venture.
TIMELINE
Feb 23 RFP
Launch
Mar
6 Online
application workshop
Apr
5 Proposal
applications due 11:59 PM
Apr
22 Award
Notifications
Jul
1 Begin 1 Year
Project Period
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The
publication of the results of research projects supported by an award from
Innovate Carolina should include a printed acknowledgment of financial support
from Innovate Carolina. For example,
“This work was supported in part through an award from Innovate Carolina.”