Innovation Meets Incentives: Grants Available to Massachusetts Life Sciences Companies

Are you a Massachusetts non-profit or academic institution with a focus in life science? Or perhaps you’re a for-profit Massachusetts life science company, collaborating with a Massachusetts non-profit. If so, you should be aware of the following grant programs with application deadlines rapidly approaching on November 17, 2023.

You may be eligible for the following programs, administered by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center:

Bits to Bytes

  • Amount of Grant: Up to $750,000.
  • Program Overview: $5 million dollars to support payroll and equipment at non-for-profit partners. Eligible companies will receive approximately $750,000 to help support the following areas:
    • Assist the analysis of large datasets that research critical healthcare issues or develop new treatment methods
    • Attract and train life sciences data scientists in the Commonwealth
  • Who Qualifies?: Massachusetts not-for-profit organizations that are collaborating with at least one for-profit Massachusetts life sciences company. Institutions that are exclusively health care providers and/or requests for standard healthcare equipment funding would not be eligible.
  • Application Window: Applications are being accepted until November 17, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
  • Where to Apply: Interested applicants can review the full criteria and apply here.

Novel Therapeutics Delivery

  • Amount of Grant: Up to $750,000.
  • Program Overview: This grant program is investing up to $5 million dollars and eligible companies will receive up to $750,000 to improve the delivery of existing or innovative therapies. The funding can only be used to address a “complex challenge in delivery.” This includes biomanufacturing, targeted delivery, biomaterials, etc.
  • Who Qualifies?: Massachusetts not-for-profit institutions, including research institutions and academic medical centers, that are collaborating with at least one for-profit Massachusetts life science company. Institutions that are exclusively health care providers and/or requests for standard healthcare equipment funding would not be eligible.
  • Application Window: Applications are being accepted until November 17, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
  • Where to Apply: Interested applicants can review the full criteria and apply here.

Research Infrastructure Program

  • Amount of Grant: Up to $5,000,000.
  • Program Overview: This grant program is investing up to $10 million dollars and eligible companies will receive approximately $1.5-5M in grants for capital projects that support the life sciences ecosystem. More specifically, the program is targeting companies that are looking to expand the understanding of human physiology and have the potential to lead to medical advances or therapeutic applications.
  • Who Qualifies?: Massachusetts not-for-profit institutions, including research institutions and academic medical centers. Institutions that are exclusively health care providers and/or requests for standard healthcare equipment funding would not be eligible.
  • Application Window: Applications are being accepted until November 17, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
  • Where to Apply: Interested applicants can review the full criteria and apply here.

Women’s Health Innovation Grants

  • Amount of Grant: Up to $300,000.
  • Program Overview: $3 million dollars to address life science questions that solely, disproportionately, or differently affect women.
  • Who Qualifies?: Massachusetts not-for-profit research institutions working on initiatives with translational potential and preliminary supporting data, but still require a key set of proof-of-concept experiments prior to spinning out into a new company or attracting a commercial partner. Funds can be used for equipment, research supplies and reagents, hardware and software, salaries, consultants, etc. There are limitations on the amount of the award that can be utilized on salaries or overhead/indirect expenses.
  • Application Window: Applications are being accepted until November 17, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
  • Where to Apply: Interested applicants can review the full criteria and apply here.

Women’s Health Collaboration Program

  • Amount of Grant: Up to $750,000.
  • Program Overview: This grant program is investing up to $5 million total dollars and eligible companies will receive approximately $750,000 to address life science questions that solely, disproportionately, or differently affect women.
  • Who Qualifies?: Massachusetts not-for-profit institutions, including research institutions and academic medical centers. Institutions that are exclusively health care providers and/or requests for standard healthcare equipment funding would not be eligible. The not-for-profit applicant must be collaborating with at least one for-profit Massachusetts life science company.
  • Application Window: Applications are being accepted until November 17, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
  • Where to Apply: Interested applicants can review the full criteria and apply here.

First Look Awards

  • Amount of Grant: Up to $50,000.
  • Program Overview: This grant program is investing up to $250,000 and eligible companies will receive approximately $50,000 to begin developing translatable solutions for women’s health and furthering our understanding of gender biology.
  • Who Qualifies?: Applications must be full or part-time faculty at a not-for-profit Massachusetts-based research institution and their primary appointment must be at a not-for-profit Massachusetts research institution.
  • Application Window: Applications are being accepted until November 17, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. EST.
  • Where to Apply: Interested applicants can review the full criteria and apply here.

Author: Robert Traester, CPA, MST | [email protected]

Contact Us

For assistance with these programs or any other program, please contact a member of Withum’s Life Sciences Team.