Frankel Innovation Initiative

Frankel Innovation Initiative awards are made once a year, with Letters of Intent due in May. Application submission and review will be conducted using the University of Michigan Medical School’s Competition Space found at https://umms.infoready4.com/. Letters of Intent will be evaluated on the basis of eligibility and fund appropriateness. Please submit your application if you feel your project meets the requirements.

If you have any questions, contact Keith Gran, CPA, MBA, Chief Patient Experience Officer and Executive Director of the Frankel Innovation Initiative, at kgran@umich.edu or 734-232-4098 or DeAnn Yoder, Project Manager, at dvansick@umich.edu, to discuss your project before submission.

The Frankel Innovation Initiative provides a fast path to patient impact through resources that support life-saving therapies at Michigan Medicine. Innovations at all stages of a research project are encouraged. The program is open to primary investigators (PIs) at the U-M Medical School, and other investigators outside of U-M on a collaborative basis. Collaborative projects that engage nationally renowned Co-PIs at other institutions are especially encouraged to apply.

Project budgets depend on the scope of work and technology. Funds dispersed depend on achievement of prospectively agreed upon milestones, which are project specific. Funding will range from $250k-$500k per year, with the potential for multiple years of funding. Please note that no indirect costs are associated with this award. Contact Keith Gran, CPA, MBA, Chief Patient Experience Officer and Executive Director of the Frankel Innovation Initiative, at kgran@umich.edu or 734-232-4098 or DeAnn Yoder, Project Manager, at dvansick@umich.edu, for details related to budgets.

Allowable budget expenditures include: salary and fringe benefits for project personnel, materials and supplies, contracted research (if required), travel and other relevant costs directly related to advancing the project (to be discussed with Frankel Innovation Initiative staff on a case-by-case basis). Budgets should be primarily allocated to the conduct of research and achievement of milestones. Proposals will be partially evaluated on the appropriateness of project budget.

The Frankel Innovation Initiative Scientific Advisory Committee comprises global biotech business experts as well as internationally prominent scientists who have deep expert knowledge. The review process consists of multiple steps. A review team, including representatives from the FII Scientific Advisory Committee, performs an initial review of Letters of Intent, selecting projects to submit a full proposal. Full proposals are then reviewed by the full FII Scientific Advisory Committee, who select those that have significant clinical potential for an in-person presentation. Projects which are not selected for further review are provided with feedback. The selected project teams then present their project directly to the FII Scientific Advisory Committee at the committee’s annual meeting in Ann Arbor in September, and awards are granted shortly thereafter.

In addition to reviewing and selecting proposal awards, members of the FII Scientific Advisory Committee and their colleague networks serve in an informal mentorship role to research teams as their projects progress.