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University of Michigan Innovation Partnerships
University of Michigan Innovation Partnerships
News

Our Fight Against COVID-19

4/3/2020

“The situation we face today would have been unimaginable for many of us just weeks ago. As COVID-19 has changed the way we work and live, the U-M Innovation Partnerships team has been giving considerable thought as to how we can best assist in the fight against COVID-19. While the landscape is quickly evolving, what follows are the initial steps we’ve taken as an organization to support our researchers, move relevant technologies into the marketplace more quickly, and help direct regional activities in support of front-line health care workers. As always, we are inspired to demonstrate how world-class university research can fuel a region and solve the world’s biggest challenges. Now, more than ever.”

– Kelly Sexton, Associate Vice President for Research, Technology Transfer and Innovation Partnerships

 

MAKE A DIFFERENCE TODAY

COLLABORATING WITH OUR NETWORK TO SUPPORT THE FIGHT

Over the past several years, U-M Innovation Partnerships and the Business Engagement Center have built a considerable network of startups, entrepreneurs, innovators, and venture capitalists. We are now working to leverage this network in service of the fight against COVID-19.

We will continue to use our position as a connector in the regional innovation ecosystem in order to advance innovations to the clinic and assist our front-line health care professionals. If you have thoughts as to how we might be able to help, please contact us at techtransfer@umich.edu.

If you represent a company, there are a couple ways for you to get involved and make a tangible difference in the fight against COVID-19.








 

COVID RESOURCES

U-M Innovation Partnerships has also taken the following steps to ensure that relevant U-M technologies are being made readily available, and without barrier, to companies pursuing COVID-19 responses, and members of the global research community.

COVID-19 SPECIFIC PORTFOLIO

We have begun to aggregate technologies that we believe may be of value to researchers and front-line health care workers engaged in the COVID-19 fight, with an emphasis on those that are available open-source and open access as possible. From a 3D printable face shield design to a high-throughput assay for the accurate and rapid measurement of viral mutation rates, we believe we have technologies that can be of value today. We will be adding to it over the days to come, as we consider the evolving needs of those working toward a therapeutic and managing the care of those with the disease. Many of these technologies are available under a COVID-specific end-user license agreement to remove barriers to research by enabling access to designs and creative works that have potential use against COVID.

We are also collaborating with the national technology transfer industry organization, AUTM, to contribute immediately available, high impact, COVID-19 related technologies to their Innovation Marketplace. These technologies, identified with the tag #COVID19 should all be available with limited hurdles, with the intention of getting them out into the hands of researchers and health care workers as quickly as possible.

RESOURCES FOR U-M STARTUPS AND SMALL BUSINESSES

Whether your U-M startup company is pivoting to assist in the COVID-19 fight, or pressing forward in these challenging times, members of the U-M Venture Center team are on call to help. Please visit our COVID-19 Business Resource List, and reach out with any questions you might have concerning funding, support services, or suggestions on relevant resources that have yet to be listed. We will continuously update the page as new information comes in. And please feel free to share the link with others that may find it helpful.

 

ASSISTANCE TO U-M COMMUNITY ADDRESSING COVID-19

Our commitment to U-M researchers. If you are a researcher at the University of Michigan pursuing work that may help in the fight against COVID-19, we are here to help. Please reach out to a member of our staff today to discuss how we might be able to assist.

Presently, the University of Michigan has nearly 100 COVID-related research projects underway. For more information about COVID-related research opportunities, including funding opportunities, please visit the U-M Office of Research’s COVID-19 page.

Our commitment to U-M startups. We are here to support the needs of our startup community during this challenging time. We are incredibly proud of the work that these companies are doing to bring innovations forward. Below are a few examples of our U-M startups stepping forward to assist in the fight against COVID-19.