Flinn Foundation Seed Grant

The Flinn Foundation Seed Grant supports approximately 10 research teams from Arizona universities and health care systems annually. Each team can receive $100,000 over 18 months to develop innovative solutions for pressing clinical needs. Successful projects may obtain an additional $100,000 the following year. Eligible teams must demonstrate a clear clinical need, a multidisciplinary approach, and a solid plan for securing future funding to enhance patient care in Arizona and beyond.

Each year, the Flinn Foundation funds about 10 research teams affiliated with an Arizona university, research institution, or health-care system that are advancing new products or services addressing significant clinical needs.
The Flinn Foundation Translational Seed Grants Program awardees each receive a $100,000 grant over 18 months, plus programmatic benefits. At the end of the grant period, the most successful projects may receive up to an additional $100,000 over the following year.
Each supported team will use the 18-month grant period to de-risk its product/process, refine its design, and/or acquire key validation data and stakeholder feedback—and secure, or have a well-defined plan to secure new sources of funding to advance toward positive patient impact.
Who Should Apply
The Flinn Foundation seeks proposals from research teams with innovative solutions to well-defined and compelling clinical needs in the areas of devices, diagnostics, health-focused technology platforms or delivery processes, and therapeutics. Other clinically compelling innovations, particularly those within precision medicine, are welcome to reach out and confirm eligibility. Proposed projects should have reached a point where there is significant potential to turn bench results into viable products or services to benefit patients in Arizona and beyond.
The Flinn Foundation Translational Seed Grants Program supports teams that include both scientists and clinicians affiliated with Arizona-based research institutions and/or health-care systems.

Eligibility

For a research team to qualify for the program:The principal investigator must be employed by an Arizona-based, nonprofit academic- or medical-research institution or health system; The principal investigator must have, or be working with their institution on, an agreed path for licensing or ownership of the project’s IP; and The principal investigator must agree to participate in grant programming provided by the Flinn Foundation. Previous Flinn Foundation grantees may apply as a principal investigator if all previous Flinn grants are closed.Competitive research teams will have: A proposed product and/or process that addresses a clearly defined, compelling clinical need; A project team that blends multi-disciplinary skills (e.g., scientific, clinical, engineering, business, regulatory) to meet the proposal goals; andAn application that adheres to the requirements specified above, especially the format and required elements of the slide deck.

Ineligibility

Funds may not support: salariesbenefitsother compensation of the PI or co-PI(s), or be applied toward prior debt