The Catherine and Don Kleinmuntz Center for Genomics in Business and Society (Kleinmuntz Center) is excited to continue to support innovation and commercialization taking place here at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. As a result, the Kleinmuntz Center will be again providing resources to support faculty with their innovations with their pre-commercialization Proof-of-Concept (POC) program, the Mikashi Awards.

The Kleinmuntz Center Mikashi Awards aim to fund IGB projects that demonstrate market viability to help projects succeed. Recipients will be awarded $50,000-$75,000 per year for up to two years. Application submissions open March 19th, 2021 and close May 7th, 2021. These awards are open to all Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology faculty and affiliates.

To apply, submit a three to five-page proposal including a project description, a proposed budget, and a detailed timeline with major milestones indicated. An external committee will review all proposals and evaluate each project's perceived ability to successfully prepare for commercialization within the scope of the project, the requested budget, and the proposed time frame.

Full details and the application form can be found at https://www.igb.illinois.edu/MikashiAwards.