Pat & Shirley Ryan Family Research Acceleration Fund
Northwestern University's Pat & Shirley Ryan Family Research Acceleration Fund supports innovative faculty research in life sciences, engineering, and medicine with strong potential for commercialization and societal impact.
Funder: Northwestern University
Due Dates: September 1, 2025 | September 8, 2026 | March 1, 2027
Funding Amounts: Typical awards: $100,000–$300,000 for one year; total FY2025 pool: ~$4.4M (two rounds).
Summary: Supports Northwestern faculty-led translational research in life sciences, engineering, or medicine with strong commercialization and societal impact potential.
Key Information: PI must hold NU faculty appointment; project must lack other external support at award time.
Description
The Pat & Shirley Ryan Family Research Acceleration Fund is an internal Northwestern University seed grant program designed to catalyze the commercialization of high-potential research in the life sciences, engineering, and medicine. The fund specifically targets projects poised to overcome the "valley of death"—the critical gap between academic innovation and external investment (private or government). Projects should demonstrate strong prospects for real-world application and societal benefit, with a clear path toward commercialization.
Areas of interest include (but are not limited to):
- Drug discovery
- Sensing and measurement
- Rehabilitation
- Regenerative medicine
- Surgery and transplantation
- Artificial intelligence and computation
Proposals are evaluated on transformative potential, technical innovation, project milestones, commercialization outlook, and the qualifications of the research team.
