BC Environmental and Occupational Health Research Network

Many of the inventions and discoveries (products/tools/services) arising through academic research are at a stage beyond discovery-driven research and yet are often of uncertain commercial utility or insufficiently developed to be of interest to relevant receptor companies and potential investors. Such intellectual property may never be licensed or commercialized, or take years to do so, without additional targeted research, market research, investment and business development activities. These activities are of paramount importance, because they serve to validate, better define and add value to the intellectual property but they require resources that typically cannot be obtained through the traditional funding mechanisms. CIHR’s Proof of Principle Program aims at filling part of this funding gap. Proof of Principle Phase I (POP-I) Grants will fund proof of principle research projects of up to 12 months duration designed to advance discoveries/inventions towards commercializable technologies, with a view to attract new investment and create new science-based businesses. Research projects across all four pillars of CIHR are eligible for this program. Note that the end product is not required to generate revenue, but there must be a demonstrated market and opportunity for your product.