6th Annual SPROUT Program
2016
The Brandeis Office of Technology Licensing, with support from the Office of the Provost & The
Hassenfeld Family Innovation Center, will award a total of $100,000 to promising proposals seeking
funding for innovations from within the Division of Science.
WHO?
Students (undergraduate and graduate), fellows, staff and faculty are all eligible to apply for a
SPROUT award. *At least one team member must be a Brandeis affiliate.
WHAT?
The 6th annual SPROUT provides pilot funding to innovative projects within the Division of Science to
encourage and support entrepreneurship. Applicants will be judged by their final written applications
and a final pitch. Awards of varying amounts will be presented to winning teams based on the specific
needs of the projects. Awards will commensurate with the scope of the project, smaller budget
proposals are encouraged. The key is to match the requested budget to the funding needed to get
ideas off the ground. Because of the increase funding pool, the maximum for proposed budgets
should be kept at $50,000. *Fun fact: no overhead will be taken out of awarded funds; a $50,000
SPROUT award is equivalent to about $81,500 from other funding agencies.
WHERE?
Preliminary applications can be found and submitted online at bit.ly/SPROUT16
WHEN?
The pre-applications are due on March 7th by 5 p.m. Information sessions will be held Feb. 25th at
11:30 a.m. in Volen 201 and Feb. 29th in Shapiro Science Center, 1st floor library.
HOW?
The SPROUT application process has three parts: 1) preliminary application, 2) final application and 3)
final pitch. After the preliminary applications are reviewed, selected participants are invited to
continue the application process. These applicants are coached and mentored (individually and in
group sessions) throughout the entire process. Final pitches are given to a panel of advisors including
entrepreneurs, investors, and industry professionals.
6th Annual SPROUT Program
2016
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
Preliminary applications will be reviewed based on overall quality of the proposed research plan,
potential for commercial importance and degree of innovation. Successful applicants will be invited
to continue the application process.
SPROUT Program final proposals will be judged by a panel of independent, outside advisors.
Applications will be judged using the following criteria:
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Overall quality of proposed research plan
Potential commercial importance of the proposed project;
Competence, balance and completeness of entrepreneurial team;
Possibility of attracting future development funding to advance the proposed project;
Degree of innovation and novelty of the proposed project
Potential for commercially significant inventions, copyrights and patents;
Probability of achieving proposed goal with the award/resources within the time proposed.
PAST WINNERS
Some examples of SPROUT projects would be the development of an enzyme, a drug or compound, a
new material, and alternative fuel sources. A sample of past SPROUT winners include:
Year
2011
2011
2012
2013
2014
2014
2014
2015
2015
2015
Project
Stabilizing DJ-1 in Parkinsons And Alzheimers
Suppression PCR (Nunchaku PCR)
BrandNeuX: A Thermal And Fission Neutron Detector
Crystal Chip: a microfluidic device to greatly improve the determination
of protein structure.
An Introduction to Fly Genetics for Lab Beginners (a smart phone app)
Improving The Large-Scale Production of Insulin From Yeast
Catalyst Development Using Tridentate N-Heterocyclic Phosphenium
Transition Metal Complexes
HIV Vaccine Approach Using Evolved glycoDNA which Mimics the Viral
Surface
Neuroslicer
Enzymatic Transformation of Phosphate Decorated Magnetic
Nanoparticles for Selectively Detecting, Sorting and Inhibiting Cancer
Cells
Department
Biology/Chemistry
Biology
Physics
Chemistry/Physics
Biology
Biochemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry
Biology
Chemistry