Mid-South REACH: Cycle 3

Grant Cycle 3 Request for Application

Mid-South REACH Product Development Grants

Request for Applications (RFA): Cycle 3

Background:

The Mid-South REACH (Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub) program is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded program that extends across four states: Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia. The primary goal of this grant program is to accelerate the real-world impact of biomedical and health-related innovations through education, mentorship, and financial support for aspiring entrepreneurs. Mid-South REACH     is led by Vanderbilt University in collaboration with the University of Louisville, Jackson State University, and George Mason University. In this grant cycle, over 15 grants will be awarded across four states to fund product development activities, including new project awards and competitive renewals. Beyond funding for product  development and translational research, Mid-South REACH, in collaboration with Mid-South I-Corps, will provide commercialization-related education and training for awardees, as well as coaching and strategic feedback from field experts, including the NIH and their partners (see https://ncai.nhlbi.nih.gov/ncai/resources/other).

The Mid-South REACH program is not a traditional grant program. It is focused on product development and requires milestone-based project management in six-month increments, renewable up to four times. Project Managers in each of the Mid-South REACH states are available to assist with the preparation of pre-applications. Applicants invited to submit a full application will work with Project Managers and/or mentors on product development plans and project timelines.

Important Dates:

Pre-applications due: May 9, 2025 by 5:00 PM (CT)

Full application invitations sent: June 4, 2025

Full applications due: July 15, 2025 by 5:00 PM (CT)

Full application pitch presentations: August 14-15, 2025*

Anticipated award start/end dates: October 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026

*Exact dates to be determined

Eligibility:

  • Open to faculty, staff, trainees, and students at eligible universities and technical schools in the following mid-south states: Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia. Specific eligibility information by state is listed below. No prior experience with NIH funding is required.

  • Applications must focus on the development of products/technologies that have the potential to improve patient care or enhance human health. There are no specific disease requirements, and all types of products (e.g., therapeutics, diagnostics, devices, tests, software) are eligible.

  • Products, technologies, and/or ideas should both:

    • originate from within an eligible university/community college in Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia.

    • either (a) have existing intellectual property protection (e.g., patent, copyright, trademark) or (b) have potential to create new intellectual property. Existing IP must be owned or affiliated with an eligible university/community college. Technologies that are already licensed to a company are not eligible.

  • Disclosure of projects/technologies to an applicant’s respective technology transfer office is not required to submit a pre-application; however, disclosure will be required prior to the submission of a Mid-South REACH full application (if invited).

  • Multiple Principal Investigators are permitted, but all personnel (including faculty sponsors) who are listed on an application must agree to participate and submit the application.

  • Non-faculty applicants must identify a faculty member who is willing to sponsor their application.

  • Clinical trials (by NIH definition) are not allowed.

  • Eligible institutions by state:

Kentucky

Eastern Kentucky University

Kentucky Community & Technical College System*

Kentucky State University

Morehead State University

Murray State

Northern Kentucky University

University of Kentucky

University of Louisville

Western Kentucky University

*Represents 16 institutions across the state

Kentucky questions?

contact information: midsouthreach@louisville.edu

Mississippi

Alcorn State

Delta State University

Hinds Community College

Jackson State University

Mississippi State University

Mississippi Valley State University

University of Mississippi

University of Mississippi Medical Center

University of Southern Mississippi 

Mississippi questions?

contact information technologytransfer@jsums.edu

Tennessee

Belmont University

Chattanooga State Community College

East Tennessee State University

Meharry Medical College

Middle Tennessee State University

Tennessee Board of Regents**

Tennessee State University

Tennessee Tech University (Innovation & Entrepreneurship)

Union University

University of Memphis

University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

**Represents 37 institutions in Tennessee

Tennessee - University questions?

contact information MidSouthREACH@vanderbilt.edu

Tennessee – Vanderbilt University Medical Center questions?

contact information brockcenter@vumc.org or  ken.holroyd@vumc.org

VUMC applicants please note: This is a limited submission opportunity. Applicants must be approved by the Brock Family Center for Applied Innovation to apply, or your application will not be considered or funded.

Please contact ken.holroyd@vumc.org and a meeting will be promptly scheduled to discuss your proposed application.

Virginia

Christopher Newport University

George Mason University

James Madison University

Longwood University

Norfolk State University

Old Dominion University

Radford University

University of Mary Washington

University of Virginia

Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Military Institute

Virginia State University

Virginia Tech

William & Mary

Virginia questions?

contact information  NIHREACH@gmu.edu

Questions and assistance:

Mid-South REACH Project Managers can assist you with various aspects of the pre-application preparation, including the review of drafts prior to submission. We encourage informal inquiries about whether an idea or product would be suitable for this program. If needed, Mid-South REACH Project Managers may also be able to help identify a suitable collaborator(s) and/or faculty sponsor (for non-faculty applicants).

Please reach out with any questions related to the Mid-South REACH grant program or to schedule an appointment to discuss your project/idea or pre-application.

You can email Project Managers directly in each state:

For investigators in: Please contact:

Kentucky midsouthreach@louisville.edu

Mississippi technologytransfer@jsums.edu

Tennessee - Universities MidSouthREACH@vanderbilt.edu

Tennessee - Vanderbilt University Medical Center* brockcenter@vumc.org or ken.holroyd@vumc.org

Virginia NIHREACH@gmu.edu

* This is a limited submission opportunity. Applicants must be approved by the Brock Family Center for Applied Innovation to apply, or your application will not be considered or funded. Please contact ken.holroyd@vumc.org and a meeting will be promptly scheduled to discuss your proposed application.

Pre-application preparation and submission:

Mid-South REACH pre-applications require two components:

  1.      Pre-Application: A short (2-page) description of the problem you are trying to address and the solution you envision. This will be prepared offline and uploaded to the portal. The Pre-Application Questions template may be downloaded here.

  2.     Online submission portal: Applicants will be asked to provide information about the project and investigators, including previous innovation-related experience and technology stage. You will also upload your completed Project Description Template.

Review of pre-applications:

Pre-applications will be reviewed by the Mid-South REACH team in each state to verify if they are responsive to the RFA and may be excluded if not suitable for this grant program.

Responsive pre-applications will be reviewed by a panel consisting of the Mid-South REACH Internal Advisory Committee (IAC) and the Leadership Team based on criteria, including scientific merit, clinical relevance, intellectual property position, market potential, time to market, and portfolio diversity. The REACH IACs are made up of reviewers with scientific, clinical, entrepreneurial, technology transfer, and/or commercialization expertise from universities within each of the state partners. All applicants who submit a pre-application will be notified of the outcome (invited or not invited to submit a full application) and will receive written feedback from the Mid-South REACH IAC review.

Next steps:

Applicants who are not invited to submit a full application are encouraged to meet with Mid-South REACH Project Managers to discuss IAC feedback, areas in which the application could be strengthened, and/or strategies for alternative funding.

Applicants who are invited to submit a full application will receive further instructions and information regarding the preparation of their full application and pitch presentation. Submission of a full application will involve additional training in research commercialization and assistance in creating a detailed product development plan and project milestones. Final funding decisions will be made following review by the Mid-South REACH External Review Board (ERB) with input from the NIH Technology Guidance Committee (TGC).