Lab Bench to Commercialization (LB2C) Grant Program accepting 2023-24 proposals

The Penn State Eberly College of Science’s Lab Bench to Commercialization (LB2C) Grant Program is now accepting applications for its 2023-24 funding cycle.

The Eberly College of Science is committed to fostering technology development and bringing academic research to the marketplace, and the LB2C Grant Program provides competitive funds for researchers within the college.

The goal is to create and advance opportunities to commercialize research from the college.

The purpose is to provide financial support that will enable researchers to enhance the commercial potential of ongoing research projects.

The intent is to stimulate and foster the footprint of the college in the public sector via economic development, mediated by the transfer of technologies to the marketplace.

Researchers who apply for funds should be prepared to take the next steps in translating their intellectual property (IP), including formulating strategies for continued development and market commercialization (this may include third-party licensing or startups).

The LB2C Grant typically provides $25,000 to the principal investigator (PI).

Funds will be available starting Sept. 1, 2023, and need to be expended by June 30, 2024.

Any unspent funds will return to the LB2C Grant Program unless an extension is approved.

During the funding period, the college’s technology liaison, Emily Kuhns, will assist grantees in critically evaluating their technology, help to find optimal market applications, and give feedback regarding plans for development and commercialization (including licensing to third parties).

Awardees will be required to work with the Penn State Office of Technology Management to protect any new IP, manage the protection of founding IP, and assist in licensing the IP to a third party (including an inventor startup).

For more information, and to apply for funding, please contact Emily Kuhns.