Welcome to the 2024 Gates Grubstake Awards

Applications for the 2024 Gates Grubstake Awards are currently being accepted. Gates Institute has a total of $1.5 million available to support multiple projects focused on regenerative medicines and cell/gene therapies. Individual project award amounts will vary based on funding needs. Eligible technologies are:

• Cell and gene therapies (e.g., CARs, TCRs, immune effector cells, gene editing technologies, etc.) 
• Biologics (e.g., recombinant proteins, RNAs, etc.) 
• Small molecules that can reprogram cells in situ 
• Stem cell-based technologies 
• Devices that induce cell reprogramming or tissue regeneration 
• Companion diagnostics for any of the above products

Investigators are encouraged to apply if their programs fall within or even adjacent to these fields.

Interested investigators affiliated with the University of Colorado, Children’s Hospital Colorado, and the UCHealth System are encouraged to submit an application

A recording of our virtual Grubstake Award Info Session can be found here. Link to slides: here.

Guidelines

• Please fill out the application form online. New accounts can be made here. 
• Please contact our Grubstake Planning Committee, grubstake.award@olucdenver.onmicrosoft.com with any questions
• Applications are due by end of day, November 15, 2024. Update: Deadline has been extended to 5pm 11/22/2024.
• Investigators whose applications are selected for presentation will be notified in mid-January 2025
• Presentations to the Investment Committee are planned for mid-Februrary 2025
• Awardees are expected to be notified in March 2025

 Additional Applicant Resources

• Preview the application form here.
• CU Innovations SPARK Colorado Applicant Support Bootcamp Sessions
  SPARK Colorado is modeled after the Stanford SPARK Program that was established in 2006 by Dr. Daria Mochly-Rosen as a cost-effective model to advance biomedical discoveries into treatments for patients. 
  
  SPARK sponsors bootcamp sessions offer guidance in preparation of fellowship/funding applications from the business and marketing perspective. Grubstake applicants are welcome to join. The guidance provided by the bootcamp sessions are highly relevant to the Grubstake Award Application. 
      

  • Bootcamp Session 1
    9 AM - 12 PM, September 19, 2024
    Education II North, Room 3108
    Topics:
    Unmet Need & Solution to Problem
    Value Proposition
    Defining the Market & Competitive Landscaoe
    Customers & Stakeholders
    Mirco-iCORPS Training
    Milestones & Go/No-Go Decision Points

  • Bootcamp Session 2
    9 AM - 12 PM, September 20, 2024
    Education II North, Room 3108
    Topics:
    IP & Technology Transfer
    Building Value & Business Validation
    SWOT Analysis
    FDA Regulatory Pathway Reviews & Reimbursement Considerations
    Technology Risks & Risk Mitigation
    Business Financials 101

  • More information about SPARK Colorado here. 

Past Winners

Gates Grubstake Awards 2023

• Mayumi Fujita, MD, Ph.D.: "Modified CD4+ T-cells Expressing IL-37"
• Jordan Jacobelli, Ph.D: "Engineered CAR T-Cells for Improved Solid Tumor Rejection"
• Joshua Thurman, MD: "C3d Targeted CAR T-Cells for the Treatment of Solid Tumors"
• Sujatha Venkataraman, PhD: "Next-Generation CAR T-Cell Therapy for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma"

Gates Grubstake Awards 2022

• Ganna Bilousova, PhD and Igor Kogut, Ph.D.: "Somatic Cell Rejuvenation for Skin Transplantation and Wound Healing"
• Mi-Hyun Nam, Ph.D: "Restoration of Vision in Glaucoma through Cell Therapy"
• Mark (Eric) Kohler, MD, PhD: "Adjunctive LAT-Activating Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cells (ALA-CART)"
• Daniel Sherbenou, MD, PhD: "Response Prediction for T-cell Engaging Bispecific Antibodies in Multiple Myeloma"

Gates Grubstake Awards 2021

• Nicholas Jacobson: "Voxel Printed Microstructures with Cells for Patient Specific Coronary Stents"
• Traci Lyons, Ph.D.: "A Novel Therapeutic for Breast Cancer"
• Michael Verneris, M.D.: "Therapeutic Development of Innate Lymphoid Cells"
• Chaitanya Puranik, B.D.S., M.S., M.Dent.Sci., Ph. D.: "Dental Filling for Regeneration of Dental Pulp"

Gates Grubstake Awards 2020

• Eduardo Davila, PhD: “Manufacturing of Genetically Engineered Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocyte Therapy”
• Ulli Bayer, PhD: “Pharmacological Restoration of Ischemic Spinal Cord Damage”
• Michael Zuscik, PhD: “Abaloparatide as the First Chondroregenerative Therapy for Osteoarthritis.”

Gates Grubstake Awards 2019

• ​Optimized manufacturing of CD19xCd22 CAR-expressing T cells for the clinic, Terry Fry, M.D.
• Generation of functional, patient-specific thymi for cell therapy, Holger Russ, Ph.D.
• Therapeutic peptide for neuroprotection in acute closed-angle glaucoma, Ram Nagaraj, Ph.D.
• Production of efficacious recombinant hypoglycosylated FSH glycoform, T. Rajendra Kumar, Ph.D.

Gates Grubstake Awards 2018

• ​Prevention and treatment of pulmonary fibrosis, Ken Liechty, M.D.
• Heart regeneration by conversion of non-myocytes into functional cardiomyocytes, 
  Kunhua Song, Ph.D.
• Generation of engraftable hematopoietic stem cells from induced pluripotent stem cells, 
  Mike Verneris, M.D.​

Gates Grubstake Awards 2017

• Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Transplant to Treat Dry AMD, Maria Valeria Canto-Soler, Ph.D.
• Clinical Development of Autologous CD117+ Progenitor Cell Therapy for Solid Organ Transplantation, Martin Zamora, M.D.
• Bioresorbable 3-D Printed Personalized Implant for Cartilage Regeneration in Pediatric Growth Plate Injuries, Karin A. Payne, Ph.D. 

Gates Grubstake Awards 2016

• Dr. David Wagner: A Novel Therapeutic to Impact Myelin Loss/Regeneration in Multiple Sclerosis 
• Dr. Kenneth Liechty: Conjugated Nanoceria to Treat Oxidative Stress and Prevent Chronic Inflammation: First Use Treating Diabetic Ulcers
• Dr. Jeffrey Olson: Intraocular Device to Potentiate Retinal Stem Cell Transplantation in Macular Degeneration 

Gates Grubstake Awards ​​​​2015

• Ganna Bilousova, Ph.D., and Igor Kogut, Ph.D.: Induced pluripotent stem cell services as a platform for clinical research
• Steven Dow, DVM, Ph.D., and Mary Ann DeGroote, M.D.: Antimicrobial stem cell therapy for infected diabetic foot ulcers
• Karin Payne, Ph.D., and Vikas Patel, M.D.: Structural living bone allografts to enhance bone formation in orthopedic surgery

Gates Grubstake Awards 2014

• Xiao-Jing Wang, M.D., Ph.D.: Human Smad7-based proteins combined with a cell-permeable peptide called Tat.  Tat-Smad7 and its derivatives can be used via topical application to treat at least four diseases: oral mucositis, psoriasis, chronic wounds, and fibrotic diseases.
• Antonio Jimeno, M.D., Ph.D.: Proprietary humanized mouse model to assess cancer treatments

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