MIT Deshpande Center Grants

Grants are open only to MIT faculty and students; grant applications must be submitted by MIT employees with Principal Investigator (PI) status.

• Funding must be for research done in MIT laboratories
• Pre-proposals must be submitted by a faculty member at MIT (exceptions for sponsored research staff that are accorded principal investigator status)
• Outside and cross-disciplinary collaborations are welcome

A multidisciplinary committee selected from inside the Institute and from our Catalysts evaluates all applications. These individuals are participating under our conflict of interest and Catalyst guidelines. This is a competitive selection process and only the top-ranked proposals will be funded.

• All applicants must submit a pre-proposal, which will be reviewed by the Selection Committee. This includes three parts: Project and team information, an executive summary, and a two-page pre-proposal.
• The Selection Committee will review pre-proposals and invite the most compelling applications to submit a full proposal. Written feedback will be provided on all pre-proposals, including those that are not selected.
• Researchers continuing the grant application process will be assigned a Deshpande Center Catalyst (mentor). The Catalyst will assist them in developing their submission package, which must include a full grant proposal and a budget. Applicants are also required to make a brief presentation to the Selection Committee.
• Applicants will be notified of grant awards in late spring or early summer.

Questions? Contact us at deshpandecenter@mit.edu.

The center awards first-year grants of $100,000 to MIT researchers who are doing promising work with potential for transformative impact. 

Initial grantees may apply for renewal grants. This is a competitive selection process. Funding for a renewal grant ranges from $50,000 to $150,000.

Application templates will be available soon

Selection Criteria for Initial Grants

Pre-proposals will be evaluated for both technology readiness and fit with the center’s mission. We look for ideas and teams with qualities that meet most or all the following criteria:

• Transformative ideas that 1) change the paradigm of how things are done to solve a known problem; and 2) will have long-term impact
• Already generated data (technology derisking underway) and/or a proof of principle
• Clear potential the project will result in a commercial transaction, such as licensing or a spinout.
• One to three years away from a commercialization transaction 
• There is reason to believe the idea is protectable and free of any commitments to other companies. We recommend disclosing the intellectual property to the Technology Licensing Office to validate the protectability. (To submit to the TLO, please visit tlo.mit.edu)
• Team has researched competitive companies and technologies and can elucidate the competitive advantage of this new technology over each

The promise of an idea’s impact potential is a combination of a unique, valuable solution and the passion and commitment of the team to behind it. To that end, we also look for researchers committed to seeing the technology become a viable product.  These team members may include:

• A PI who either has spun out a company before, or demonstrates interest in being a scientific founder*
• A postdoc or doctoral student willing to be the agent for a spinout*
  • * Both may be waived for a clear licensing opportunity
• Someone on the team (advisor is fine) who represents the target industry
• Demonstrated passion and commitment to commercialization by satisfying at least one of the following:
• Attending another MIT (or other university) entrepreneurial program (e.g. I-Corps™ Spark, Engine’s Blueprint, Engine’s Whiteboard, Sandbox, Faculty Founders)

Selection Criteria for Renewal Grants

The criteria for selection are similar to Initial Grants with the following modifications or additions:

• Is this technology likely to be spun out of MIT within 1-2 years?
• Has a strong market need or potential impact been validated? Is there a business model that makes sense?
• Is there a proof of concept/product? Is there compelling experimental data indicating a reasonable technical risk?

Use of Funds
Funding shall be used for technology development as described in the submitted proposal.

Program Participation
Principal investigators (PIs) funded by the Deshpande Center are committed to seeing their promising technology make an impact on the marketplace, whether through a start-up or license (to a third party). 

In addition to funding, the center provides expert commercialization guidance and connections to the business world. Teams will be expected to participate in events to propel their technology forward as determined by the Deshpande Center. For example, the center hosts an annual IdeaStream event, a fall showcase, occasional workshops, and other events to enhance and highlight innovative work done at MIT. 

All Deshpande-funded projects are expected to participate, or have participated, in the MIT I-Corps™ program on customer and market discovery.

Intellectual Property
PIs funded by the Deshpande Center shall seek to establish IP, where appropriate, via disclosures of potentially patentable inventions submitted to the TLO as normal MIT practice, with an indication that Deshpande Center funding has been used to support the work.

Communication
The PI shall communicate the project’s progress through various means, including the following:
* Initial kick-off meeting
* Regular meetings with Catalyst (mentor) – usually bi-weekly or monthly
* A midterm and final meeting, which may include external guests
* Final written report or presentation to the Deshpande Center. Report requirements will be distributed during the program.
* Publications – Publication of results from work sponsored by the Center is encouraged, and Deshpande Center support will be acknowledged in all publications.
* Media relations – When appropriate, PIs funded by the center might be asked to interact with the press. Media training will be available.

Length of Funding
The term of the grant is one year, and any unused funds will be rolled back into the program unless a one-year no cost extension is approved prior to the expiration date. A second extension will only be granted in the event of proven mitigating circumstances.
 
Eligible teams may be invited to apply for a renewal grant based on their progress toward commercialization.
 
Conflict of Interest
Faculty funded by the Deshpande Center should follow MIT guidelines in Policy and Procedures and be diligent to avoid conflict of interest related to the funding, research, or collaborators on the project.
 
Deshpande Center Financial Sustainability
The Deshpande Center does not take equity in your idea, team, spinout. This is grant funding. 
 
The first DCTI participants to complete our program and sell their companies recommended we create a vehicle to receive gifts from DCTI alums who want to contribute to and thank the Deshpande Center. They set the precedent. We use these contributions to fund new projects. This practice, established by your predecessors, was a gift of 1% of your(not the company’s) founder equity per $50,000 awarded (by the DCTI). If you prefer to donate cash, perhaps calculate a comparable sum. Should you choose to do this, it would be separate from any equity or royalties paid to MIT to license any patents.