Translational Opportunities

Entrance archway of Gallogly Hall with interlocking OU flag on pole.

The Translational Stimulation Committee (TSC) supports innovation, entrepreneurship, and real-world impact across the Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME). Through a suite of internal awards and incentive programs, the TSC helps SBME students and faculty advance early-stage ideas toward translation, commercialization, and societal benefit.

These opportunities are designed to be low-barrier, fast-moving, and impact-oriented, complementing larger external funding mechanisms.

TSC Internal Awards (PDF)

Disclosures & Patents

Workshops/Travel/Awards

1.

TSC Internal Translational Awards

The TSC Internal Awards Program provides flexible seed funding to accelerate promising translational projects that are not yet ready for large external grants.

Purpose

Advance early-stage biomedical technologies toward real-world application
Support prototyping, feasibility testing, user discovery, and validation
Build a pipeline for external funding, IP, and commercialization

Who Can Apply

SBME undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty
Individuals or teams (team-based, cross-level projects are encouraged)

Award Details

3–5 projects funded per year
Typical award size: $500–$2,000 per project
Funds may be used for materials, prototyping, testing, core facility fees, and other approved project expenses

Key Dates

Proposal Deadline: March 31
Notice of Award: May 1
Funding Period: 1 year

How to Apply

Submit a single PDF (≤3 pages, plus title page and appendices) to
sbme_tsc@groups.ou.edu

Post-Award Expectations

Midpoint update and final report
Participation in SBME/TSC showcases or seminars (as requested)

2.

Disclosure & Patent Incentives

To encourage invention disclosure and intellectual property development, the TSC offers recognition and financial incentives tied to innovation milestones.

Eligibility

All SBME-affiliated teams (faculty, students, or staff)
Inventions must be disclosed or filed through the OU Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC)

Incentives

$200 for each provisional patent application filed
$500 for each non-provisional (full) patent application
Certificate of Recognition for each official invention disclosure

How It Works

Submit a brief email to sbme_tsc@groups.ou.edu with OTC confirmation
TSC coordinates with OU OTC semi-annually to ensure recognition

3.

Workshops, Travel & Lunch Awards

This mechanism supports small, targeted activities that strengthen SBME’s translational ecosystem through training, engagement, and market discovery.

A. Workshops & Lunch Events

Partial support for on-campus or virtual events focused on:
- IP, entrepreneurship, commercialization, or translation
Typical support: up to $500 per event

B. Travel Awards

Support for SBME teams (students/postdocs + faculty mentor) to attend:
- Market discovery programs
- Venture competitions
- Translational workshops or conferences
3–5 awards per year, $500–$1,000 per team

Application Process

Brief internal application (<1 page) emailed to sbme_tsc@groups.ou.edu
Applications reviewed in three annual cycles:
- Jan 5 / Jun 5 / Sep 5

Post-Award

Short written or slide summary of outcomes and translational insights

General Notes

All awards and reimbursements must comply with University of Oklahoma policies
Funding availability depends on annual TSC budget allocation
The TSC reserves the right to partially fund or decline applications

Questions & Contact

For questions about eligibility, application preparation, or alignment with translational goals:

Qinggong Tang, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Chair, Translational Stimulation Committee
qtang@ou.edu