The MTRAC AgBio Innovation Hub at MSU is pleased to announce the 2024 AgBio Innovation Challenge for Spring 2024. The Challenge is an opportunity for innovators at Michigan’s public universities, non-profit research institutes and public hospital systems to identify AgBio applications for early-stage technologies under development in their laboratories or institutions. The objective of the challenge is to increase awareness and interest (among researchers) in the wide range of technical challenges now facing businesses and end-users operating in the agriculture, biomaterials and bioprocessing markets.
2024 Innovation Challenge Theme
The 2024 AgBio Challenge focuses on innovations that improve value and efficiency in specialty crop or animal protein (e.g., poultry, livestock, seafood, dairy, etc.) production (or food products derived from them) through precision. Qualified innovations are those that employ improved molecular, microbial, genetic, tissue or environmental level detection tools or process strategies to improve the production efficiency or value of food in the target categories. Of particular interest are farm-level concepts that offer an original (and likely feasible) route to improving yield, quality, resilience, nutrient or natural resource efficiency, and/or sustainability of food production in these categories; including those that describe unique detection, sensing, compositional, and genetic/breeding advances, and those that lead to improved decision-making for specialty crop and animal protein production.
What is the Challenge?
The Innovation Challenge is a pilot competition intended to identify key conceptual bridges between nascent and emerging technologies and specific, high-value applications in the AgBio market. Its purpose is to encourage awareness, innovation and investment in translational AgBio research among Michigan innovators. Those with a truly unique insight and high likelihood of developing into significant translational research and commercialization efforts in a short timeframe will generally score the highest. Of particular interest are those technology applications that can help Michigan AgBio businesses compete more successfully in national and international markets.
Who is eligible to compete?
Principle investigators and post-doctoral scholars at Michigan public universities, public hospital systems and non-profit research institutes are eligible to compete. Interdisciplinary teams are welcome as well. Awards made to teams will be split between members.
Why should I compete?
Awards of $1,000 to $10,000 are available for winning submissions. Funds allocated to the Innovation Challenge are sufficient to cover at least one of each of the following level awards: Transformation: $10,000; Innovation: $7,500; Exploration: $5000; Activation: $2,500; Inspiration: $1,000. Whether or not all awards are made depends on the number and quality of submissions received. The concept papers are evaluated according to their viability, originality and other factors described in the Innovation Challenge program documents and summarized in the next section. Some or all of the awards may be duplicated or eliminated in any competition cycle, depending on the number and quality of papers received, as well as available funding. Awards are made to the awardee’s approved institutional research (or, in some cases, professional development) account with the intent of helping the researcher develop the technology concept or conduct other translational research. Awardees must be planning to remain with their current employer for a period of at least 1 yr beyond the award date.
When is my submission due?
The MTRAC AgBio Innovation Hub will begin receiving submissions for the Innovation Challenge on May 2, 2024. Submissions may be made until 5:00 PM on Friday, May 31, 2024. Please submit concept paper through email to Weian Ou (ouweian@msu.edu).
What is the award criteria?
The Challenge is intended to match promising new technologies with important problems and opportunities in the AgBio marketplace. Awards are made based on the degree to which the concept papers: (i) identify an emerging university-owned* technology (preferably, one on which the applicant or a direct collaborator has worked) with potential commercial applications in the AgBio market; (ii) identify one or more specific and novel AgBio applications for the technology and assess the value/significance of those applications; (iii) provide a description of the rationale (why not how) for using the technology to address the AgBio problems; (iv) discuss the potential advantage such an application could confer to one or more category of Michigan agricultural or bio-based businesses; and (v) provide a simple description of key resources (people, skills, tools, etc), critical steps and timeline needed to develop an initial prototype to address those applications.
How do I structure and submit an Innovation Challenge paper?
The body of the MTRAC Innovation Challenge product concept paper is limited to 3 page, single-spaced text paper (in 11-12 pt Arial font; 1 inch margins). The references, figures and supporting appendices are limited to a total of 3 pages with same text style requirements. The cover page (see application cover sheet) is not considered part of the page count, but it is required for a complete submission. The paper must be the original work of the applicant and not simply copy ideas already resident in the literature. Further details of the requirements, scope and purpose of the MTRAC AgBio Innovation Challenge are summarized on the MTRAC AgBio Innovation Hub web site.
Applications are due May 31, 2024: MTRAC AgBio Innovation Challenge
Researchers interested in MTRAC funding should contact Program Director Joseph A. Affholter (jaffholt@msu.edu ) or Program Assistant Weian Ou (ouweian@msu.edu) for more information. Informational group webinars available upon request.