The USC - Johnson & Johnson Translational Innovation Partnership Program seeks to further groundbreaking research in a wide range of therapeutic areas and will showcase emerging technologies or innovations with high potential for impact in life sciences. 

It is a matching fund program with Johnson & Johnson’s Corporate Office of Science and Technology (JNJ COSAT) and USC designed to improve the development speed and relevance to industry of early stage USC technologies that hold the greatest potential to benefit patients and the healthcare system. The funded work may also contribute to additional discoveries or data that may strengthen patent coverage.

The program is open to full-time faculty at USC including research faculty, tenure-track or non-tenure track faculty. Project teams can include USC faculty, student researchers and staff members.  The USC Stevens Center for Innovation encourages faculty conducting research in health sciences or medical technology to apply and will assist in investigating matching fund resources as applicants are expected to contribute 50% of the overall project funds through non-governmental funds such as departmental funds, start-up funds, or gifts. Applicants can request contribution of up to a maximum of $50,000 a year towards research projects supporting total project size of up $100K, with the possibility to renew funding once for one additional year. Larger funding can be considered in exceptional cases.

The program seeks to sponsor groundbreaking research in a wide range of therapeutic areas and should involve emerging technology or innovations of high potential impact in healthcare or healthcare delivery.

Process:

• The USC Stevens Center for Innovation will announce the request-for-proposals via its website and other USC communication channels.
• An initial interview with all applicants will be conducted to make sure all aspects of the project are appropriately captured.
• A joint review committee will be formed with representatives for USC and COSAT selecting the most promising project, in alignment with specified focus areas.
• The review / granting process will be no longer than 3 months; the granting committee is led by the USC Stevens Center.
• Typically the grant period will not exceed one year.
   

The review and granting committee will consider the following criteria:

• The significance of the research objective, the scientific merit, and the originality of the project; 
• Involvement of emerging technology or innovations of high potential impact in healthcare or healthcare delivery;
• Centering of approaches developed by the applicant with established credentials and expertise;
• Demonstration of adequate budget, appropriate resource allocation, realistic research plan and research method to complete the project in the proposed time;
• Relevant milestones that allow meaningful assessment of the project upon completion;
• Alignment with core areas of research of the program;
• The impact of funding on investigator’s ability to attract external follow-up funding;
• Availability of matching funds by applicant;
• Alignment with Johnson & Johnson’s core strategic areas.

Click here to view frequently asked questions.