Post-Conference Report
7-9 November 2017 Milwaukee, WI
19th Annual HHS SBIR/STTR Conference
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Thank You!
As the hosts of the 19th Annual SBIR-STTR Conference, the CTSI of Southeast Wisconsin, the Medical College of Wisconsin and our partner institutions would like to express our sincere gratitude to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the participating federal staff, each of our guests, sponsors, conference committee members, volunteers and esteemed speakers. We thank you for joining us, for your generous support, guidance and participation – we could not have done it without you!
Reza Shaker, MDSenior Associate Dean & DirectorClinical & Translational Science Institute of SE WisconsinJoseph E. Geenen Professor & ChiefDivision of Gastroenterology & Hepatology Director, Digestive Disease CenterMedical College of Wisconsin
Kalpa Vithalani, PhDHost, Conference ChairLicensing ManagerOffice of Technology DevelopmentMedical College of Wisconsin
498 Registered Attendees
36 NIH Institutes
& Centers
37 States
92 Speakers
202 Companies
82 Federal Staff
17 Sponsors
3 Countries
Project Manager: Pam Jung, Special Events Manager, MCW
Chair, Robert Vinson, NIH SBIR/STTR Program Manager
1 NIH & 5 CTSI Planning CommitteesThe planning process was truly collaborative; the success of the conference can in large part be attributed to the partnership, collaboration and diversity of our partners and committee members from academia, private and public institutions/businesses, industry, local, state and federal government.
NIH
13 Members
CTSI
40 Members
35% from Wisconsin
15% from CTSI Institutions
By the Numbers:
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About the Conference:
Conference Goals• Meet one-on-one with SBIR/STTR Program
Managers & Experts from 36 Institutes & Centers
• Understand the HHS SBIR/STTR programs and funding opportunities
• Better understand the HHS application, review and award process
• Learn how to write successful SBIR/STTR grant applications
• Learn about HHS assistance programs offered to awardees
• Networking with like-minded innovators & build relationships with potential partners
• Know that HHS wants to help you! Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Goals• Stimulate technological innovation• Use small business to meet federal R&D needs• Foster & encourage participation by minori-
ties & disadvantaged persons in technological innovation
• Increase private-sector commercialization innovations derived from federal R&D
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program Goals• Stimulate and foster scientific and technological
innovation through cooperative research and development carried out between small business concerns and research institutions
• Foster technology transfer between small business concerns and research institutions
America’s Largest Seed FundA cornerstone of the HHS’s congressionally mandated outreach efforts, this three-day national HHS SBIR/STTR Conference is designed to educate attendees about the America’s Largest Seed Fund and how to apply for these commer-cialization dollars. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program Set-aside program for small business concerns to engage in federalR&D, with potential for commercialization.
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) ProgramSet-aside program to facilitate cooperative R&D between small business concerns and US research institutions – with potential for commercialization
3.2%
0.45%
The goal of the SBIR/STTR program synergizes well with the CTSI’s mission of advancing the health of our community through research and discovery. The CTSI was honored to be the first among the NCATS 62 CTSA institutions to be selected by the HHS to host this important national conference. We are also proud and pleased that Milwaukee was recognized as home to a solid foundation of collaboration and opportunity among several other cities who submitted proposals to host the Conference.
With $982.5 million in annual FY2017 NIH funding (FY18 pending), this is one of the largest sources of early-stage capital for technology commercialization in the United States.
Useful Links:Conference Website
Conference Program Book
Agenda at a Glance
Conference Slides Presentations
Post-Conference Report
NIH SBIR/STTR Programs
SBIR/STTR Contact Information
Subscribe for NIH SBIR/STTR Information
Clinical & Translational Institute of Southeast Wisconsin
Wisconsin SBIR/ Center for Technology Commercialization
Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Programs
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Highlights:
Welcome Remarks:John R. Raymond, Sr., MDPresident and CEO, Medical College of Wisconsin
Tom Barrett, Mayor, Milwaukee
Chris Abele, County Executive, Milwaukee
Reza Shaker, MD, Senior Associate Dean & DirectorClinical & Translational Science Institute of SE Wisconsin
Kalpa Vithalani, PhD, Host, Conference Chair, Licensing Manager, Medical College of Wisconsin
Healthcare Innovation Pitch Event:Daniel S. Sem, PhD, Professor & DeanConcordia University Wisconsin
Top Sessions:
Keynote Speakers:
Top Sectors:
Dr. Walter Koroshet, Director, National Institute
of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Tommy G. Thompson 19th HHS Secretary,
Four-Term Governor of Wisconsin
Phase I and Phase II Proposal Development
Lisa Kurek
HHS Overview and UpdateMatthew Portnoy
Getting from Submission to Review
Cathleen Cooper
Mock Peer Review SessionGagan Pandya
Kristopher BoughCathleen Cooper
Augie Diana Stephanie Fertig
Joe GindhartXinzhi Zhang
Lessons Learned From Successful Companies: Navigating Application &
Commercialization Stephanie Fertig Laverne Carter
Dianna Goodwin Lisa McKerracher
Lynn Allen-HoffmanChief Science Officer, Director, Stratatech, Senior Vice
President of Regenerative Medicine Mallinckrodt, 2016 Tibbetts Award Winner from Wisconsin
Academic Research32.7%
Angel/Venture Investor1.8%
Other9.7%
ServiceProvider15%
Business Owner32.7%
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“The conference was a resounding success by all accounts, from start to finish!”
“The event performances of the Clinical & Translational Science Institute and Medical College of Wisconsin were magnificent!”
“The conference was a tremendous success and would not have been possible without the long hours of your dedicated staff and volunteers. CTSI’s enthusiasm, expertise, and can-do attitude created a wonderful experience for conference attendees and the SBIR/STTR community.”
“Great work for you and your team as well for an excellent event!”Matthew E. Portnoy, PhD, NIH SBIR/STTR Program Coordinator, Director, Division of Special Programs
Robert Vinson, Program Manager, NIH SBIR/STTR Program Office
Patti Swayne, Communications Specialist, NIH SBIR/STTR Program Office
“I enjoyed the conference and the opportunity to meet you all. From attendees I have heard from, you did a wonderful job of pulling it all together and giving a great conference. Kudos to you and your entire team!” J.P. Kim, NIH SBIR/STTR Program Manager, Office of Extramural Programs/Research
“The success of this conference is yet another feather in the cap of Wisconsin, and Kalpa Vithalani and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and MCW - and the partners of this great event.” Tommy G. Thompson, 19th HHS Secretary, Four-Term Governor of Wisconsin
Attendees“Congratulations on an exceptional Conference! And thank you for the vision and commitment to bringing this National confer-ence to Milwaukee. MCW, CTSI, Milwaukee, and Wisconsin were well represented. In my role as a state resource for WI tech businesses, I have been to many of these SBIR Conferences, and in my judgment, this was the best ever. I am proud and grateful to have been a part of this great event.” Dave Linz, Director Client Services, Center for Technology Commercialization, University of Wisconsin-Extension
“The conference was successful and wonderful! I certainly learned a lot and will be applied to future SBIR application. I am grateful to have such a conference in Milwaukee.” Shi-Jiang Li, Professor of Biophysics, MCW
“I just wanted to let you know what an AWESOME conference this was this week. I’ve been to a few National SBIR confer-ences over the years, and this was by far had the best content.” Wanda Bird, Small Business Specialist, Smith & Gesteland Accountants & Consultants
“Thank you very much for hosting and leading an amazing SBIR conference! It was time well spent!” Jon Kleinman
“As a Phase I SBIR awardee, this conference was extremely relevant and useful as my company prepares our Phase II appli-cation. On the whole, it was a great experience to be surrounded by so many people enthusiastic about good science and excited about translating technology in order to benefit patients.” Adam Uselman, CEO OnLume Inc.
“I was at the NIH SBIR/STTR Conference in Milwaukee last week, it was a fantastic event.” Guy Starbuck, Co-Founder & CTO, AIQ Solutions
“The HHS-NIH-SBIR conference was priceless and was dense with great information and networking opportunities.” Brian Repa, CEO Square One Solutions
“The opportunity to have one-on-one sessions was extremely valuable, and the breath of NIH representation, in terms of topics and institutes, was amazing.”
“A very informative experience. The networking opportunities and willingness of people to help was beyond ordinary.”
“Outstanding conference. Thank you. It was extremely helpful.”
“Great face-to-face meetings!”
“The program officers seemed to have infinite interest fielding questions and being collaborative while advocating for their institutions. It was a great first experience of the annual event without a stale moment.”
“One of the best conference experiences ever, honestly. So relevant and helpful. The one on ones were very useful and the whole conference was inspiring. The hotel was great. They ac-commodated for my ‘disability’ and were super gracious. I think this one was “Out of the park!”
“Thank you for putting on an excellent high-quality meeting.”
“The opportunity to have face-to-face meetings with NIH pro-gram officers was a very valuable component of the conference.”
“Everything was on time and expertly run. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”
“Excellent conference. I learned so much - and the NIH staff were so knowledgeable. The host organization did a super job - seamless sessions and no “hiccups.” Great job on everyone’s part.”
“This was the best conference I’ve attended in 25 years. Hats off.” to the organizers.”
Testimonials:
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Survey Results:
What were your top 5 goals for attending the conference?
90% Yes
Will you recommend attending this event to colleagues in the future?
Overall Plenary and Track Session Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars!
54% Extremely
39% Definitely
48% Definitely
46% Extremely
42% Definitely
38% Extremely
How valuable was the conference for you?
Did the conference Meet your expectations?
How likely will you network with connections made?
Respondents were extremely satisfied with service of HHS meeting staff, and CTSI & Host meeting staff.
Meet SBIR/STTR Professional Staff15%
Networking14%
Keep current on HHS SBIR/STTR application processes & compliance
11%
Identify sources of funding10%
Regulatory knowledge10%
NIH Institutes & Centers:• National Institute on Aging• National Institute on Alcohol
Abuse and Alcoholism• National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases• National Institute of Arthritis and
Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases• National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and
Bioengineering• National Cancer Institute• National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development• National Institute on Drug Abuse• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences• National Eye Institute• National Institute of General Medical Sciences• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute• National Institute of Mental Health• National Institute on Minority Health and Health
Disparities• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke• National Institute of Nursing Research• National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health• Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic• Initiatives, Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP)• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)• Center for Scientific Review (CSR)• Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW)• Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information• Technology (ONC)• Research Involving Human Subjects• Indirect Cost Branch• Intellectual Property and Requirements iEdison Invention Report• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)• Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT)• Research Integrity• Clinical Trials
One-on-One Meetings with NIH Program Officers
603
Extremely satisfied NeitherModerately satisfied
Advance Registration
Process72.5% 7.3%19.3%
On-site Registration
Process73.4% 11.9%14.7%
CTSI & Host Meeting Staff 80.5% 3.5%15.9%
Service of HHS Meeting Staff 81.1% 6.3%12.6%
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3,696 people reached
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5,767 total page views
26 email campaigns to 27,171+
individuals with an
39.4% average open rate
459 unique users
67% mobile
devices used
16,989 pageviews
Conference Mobile APP
Marketing Summary:
Press & NewsPress Release 1: Milwaukee Institute Wins Bid to Host Health & Human Services Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer ConferencePicked up by 78 local & nationwide outlets, including:• Urban Milwaukee• WisBusiness.com • Houston Chronicle• BioPortfolio
Press Release 2: National Conference in Milwaukee to Open Doors for Biohealth Entrepreneurs, Researchers Seeking Federal SBIR/STTR Grants Picked up by many outlets, including:• PublicNow• Urban Milwaukee• Press Release Point• WisBusiness.com• States News Service • Targeted News Service • US Official News
CTSI Discovery Radio• DiscoveryRadio: Technology Transfer:
Advancing Healthcare Innovations from Patents to Patients®
Additional Coverage:• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Biohealth
entrepreneurs: Experts on federal grants convening in Milwaukee
• National Institutes of Health Extramural News: Small Businesses Gather in Milwaukee for 19th Annual HHS SBIR/STTR Conference on Federal Research Funding
• BizTimesMilwaukee: Three winners awarded $20,000 at Healthcare Innovation Pitch competition
• WEDC InVest Newsletter: Q&A with Kalpa Vithalani, Licensing Manager, Office of Technology Development, Medical College of Wisconsin
• WEDC INSOURCE Newsletter: Wisconsin attracts national startup funding conference
• CTSInsider: Join us for the 19th Annual HHS SBIR/STTR Conference: In The Heartland of BioHealth Innovation
• WisBusiness.com: SBIR/STTR confer-ence coming to Milwaukee next month
• WisBusiness.com: BrightStar: Announces investment commitment to Errand Solutions
Social Media:
Thank You Sponsors!
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors