FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

C4 launches POP Fund

January 8 Deadline for Stage One Applications

Application deadline for stage one funding from the C4 Proof-of-Principle Fund.

C4 has announced January 8, 2008 as the application deadline for stage one funding from its Proof-of-Principle (POP) Fund.

This $1.2 million funding program, exclusively for C4 institutions, will help researchers prove discoveries are commercially viable. The C4 POP is designed to  lead to either licensing, partnering with industry, or further development through second stage mechanisms such as CIHR-POP, NSERC-I2I, or other proof-of-principle programs.

 “This C4 program fills a void in the funding landscape by specifically funding activities that will position a project for the large Proof-of-Principle programs or venture capital,” says Elsie Quaite-Randall, Executive Director of the McMaster Industry Liaison Office.

This early stage fund provides up to $135,000 per project to researchers. It funds activities such as prototyping, animal model studies, or additional programming. The funding can also be used to analyze the market, prepare a business plan, and validate technical risks. Any funded project will also receive extra funding for patent costs, up to $10,000.
Funded by the provincial government’s Ontario Research Commercialization Program, the C4-POP program helps basic research prepare for commercialization. The C4 POP fund is similar to CIHR-POP or NSERC-I2I but with a faster cycle time. For example, decisions for the January 8 submissions will be made on January 24.
C4 plans to support dozens of projects over three years using a three stage model.

• Stage 1 – up to $10,000, requiring a defined milestone
•  Stage 2 – up to $25,000 to meet a second commercialization milestone; must have formal IP protection in place
• Stage 3 – up to $100,000 in two $50,000 rounds, providing the milestones have been met and an acceptable commercialization plan presented; second round requires a match, co-investment, or OCE Market Readiness funding
  

For the first stage, industry liaison officers and researchers will jointly prepare an application for review by an internal* C4 selection committee. This stage offers a faster turn around with fewer burdens compared to external programs. It is intended to help start the commercialization process.

For the second stage, proposals will be reviewed by a C4 POP Advisory Board comprised of seasoned technology innovators. Applications for the third stage will be reviewed by both the advisory board and an external reviewer.
In all cases, researchers who want to apply for C4 POP funding must work with the technology transfer office at their institution.

About C4

C4 fosters innovation in Southwest Ontario by promoting technology transfer and commercialization. Comprised of ten universities and research institutions, C4 members coordinate their resources, cooperate with governmental and industrial bodies, collaborate in multi-disciplinary research to solve real world problems, and commercialize the results of their research.

C4’s members are McMaster, Guelph, Waterloo, Western, Windsor, and Wilfrid Laurier universities, and Robarts Research Institute, the Lawson Health Research Institute, Hamilton Health Sciences, and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. This diverse group of universities and research institutions generates hundreds of new discoveries each year. It is C4’s mission to help its members transfer the benefits of these discoveries to society.

*The internal review will maintain your technology's non-disclosure status. Speak to your industry liaison officer for more details.

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