NASA is looking to accelerators to identify healthcare entrepreneurs working on the best ideas to deliver healthcare to astronauts.
The National Space Biomedical Research Institute Industry Forum announced a new funding program yesterday, SMARTCAP ACCEL. This fund offers no-strings-attached grants to companies working on healthcare products that can go from earth to space and back again.
Dorit Donoviel, PhD, was in Louisville, KY, to talk about the new source of funding. She is the NSBRI Industry Forum Lead and NSBRI’s deputy chief scientist.
“By developing solutions that are non-invasive and easy to use, we can deliver healthcare on earth and in space,” she said.
Accelerators have to nominate a company as part of the application process. Donoviel said that the idea is for NASA to benefit from the vetting process that accelerators are already doing.
Solutions for delivering healthcare in space have to meet several challenging requirements:
- A remote setting without a doctor or lab
- Limited to solar power
- No off gassing
- No consumables that degrade
- Robust technology that anyone can use
Some of NASA’s focus areas are:
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
- Routine health surveillance
- Bone health
- Heart health
- Brain health
- Cognitive function
- Radiation effects
Donoviel described SMARTCAP ACCELL as the brainchild of Ted Smith, the chief of economic growth and innovation at Louisville Metro Government. Louisville is the launch site for the national program and the city’s XLerate Health is one of the program’s first partners. Applications for its first class close Monday.
Companies have to find a match for the NSBRI funding. Donoviel said applicants don’t need to have the match in hand to apply, just a plan to get it.
Awards will range from $10,000 to $200,000 and the NSBRI Industry Forum will make several grants. Applications are due due July 22 and winners will be announced August 12.
The NSBRI Industry Forum is NASA’s grant making agency. NASA funds the institute and the institute funds entrepreneurs, scientists, and researchers working on biomedical projects to help them commercialize the products. Then NASA can buy the software or devices or drugs once they are on the market.
“NASA hates one-offs,” Donoviel said. “And they like buying products that are good for Earth too.”
The new program is a spinoff from the the gap-funding program Space Medicine and Related Technologies Commercialization Assistance Program (SMARTCAP) which launched in 2011.
