# Midwest Biomedical Accelerator Consortium: MBArC

> **NIH NIH U01** · UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA · 2020 · $980,957

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The ultimate goal of biomedical research is to create new devices, drugs, and technologies that
prevent, diagnose, and treat human diseases. Like scientific discovery, biomedical technology
commercialization is complex and requires mentorship, resources, collaboration, and risk.
However, several hurdles limit commercialization of promising laboratory discoveries, including
1) lack of awareness by academicians that commercialization is an option, 2) concerns that
commercialization efforts delay academic advancement, and 3) failure to connect investigators
with the collaborators and experts necessary to complete the commercialization process. The
objective of this Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub (REACH) proposal is to
establish a partnership between the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) and the University of
Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) that will promote academic entrepreneurship and
commercialization. To this collaboration MU brings its outstanding biomedical and bioengineering
research programs and its vibrant track record of participation in the Coulter Translational
Research Partnership Award program. KUMC provides its exceptional biomedical research
programs and Frontiers, its NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). In addition,
each institution has existing partnerships that strengthen and extend the alliance - i.e. 1) MU with
University of Missouri state system universities in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Rolla; and 2) KUMC
with the Kansas Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (K-INBRE) and the Sustainable
Heartland Accelerator Regional Partnership Hub (SHARPhub). The leadership team of this
network, entitled the Midwest Biomedical Accelerator Consortium (MBArC), will employ the
following strategies to increase biomedical research commercialization: 1) leverage MBArC’s
geographic and institutional scope to develop strategic partnerships that invite scientists to
engage in technology transfer and commercialization, 2) give academicians the training and
resources needed to validate the clinical and commercial feasibility of their innovations, 3) provide
researchers with funding and mentorship to complete product definition studies and attract follow-
on funding, and 4) offer experiential learning opportunities in biomedical innovation and
entrepreneurship. This initiative will build on existing programs in outstanding institutions to
increase health-related business development, including small businesses, in Missouri, Kansas,
and adjoining states. The MBArC REACH Hub will promote commercialization of novel scientific
discoveries and establish a sustainable infrastructure to translate scientific discoveries into
commercial products that prevent and treat high-burden diseases afflicting the US population.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10022343
- **Project number:** 5U01HL152410-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
- **Principal Investigator:** William P Fay
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $980,957
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-23 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10022343

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10022343, Midwest Biomedical Accelerator Consortium: MBArC (5U01HL152410-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10022343. Licensed CC0.

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