Portland Prosperity Investment Program

The Biosensing program is part of the Engineering Biology and Health cluster, which also includes 1) the Biophotonics program; 2) the Cellular and Biochemical Engineering program; 3) the Disability and Rehabilitation Engineering program; and 4) the Engineering of Biomedical Systems program. The Biosensing program supports fundamental engineering research in the monitoring, identification and/or quantification of biological analytes and phenomena using innovations that exist at the intersection of engineering, life sciences, and information technology. Projects submitted to the program must advance both engineering and life sciences. The Biosensing program encourages proposals that, in addition to advancing biosensing technology, address critical sensor needs in biomedical research, public health, food safety, agriculture, forensics, environmental protection, and homeland security. Proposals are especially encouraged in areas of critical need: sensing technologies that can enable monitoring and surveillance of the environment and/or individuals for novel infectious agents; platform technologies that can readily be modified as soon as new agents are detected, sequenced, and/or otherwise characterized to enable rapid deployment of sensors in clinics and the environment; and adaptive and/or multiplex sensing technologies that can help the nation prevent the spread of the next global pandemic. Major areas of interest for the program include: -Novel signal transduction principles and mechanisms that enable sensitive and specific biosensors, suitable for measurements in multiple areas; -Design of novel biorecognition elements and appropriately designed transducing systems to enable adaptable and/or reconfigurable operating parameters in response to environmental changes or application needs at levels of device, system, or data analysis; -Development of adaptive and/or evolvable biosensing systems for detection of novel target analytes or analytes under novel conditions; -Novel synthetic biology approaches for the development of cell-free and cell-based biosensors; and -Combining biosensors with artificial intelligence (AI) methods to improve sensor specificity and response time.

The Harvest to Market Grant provides local food and farm enterprises in eligible rural counties of Kansas and western Missouri with grants of $5,000 to $25,000 to strengthen their post-harvest and go-to-market capacity. Administered by the Heartland Regional Food Business Coalition, the program is supported by a grant from the Patterson Family Foundation and is designed to help local food businesses serve local and regional markets more effectively. Priority is given to investments in processing equipment, distribution equipment, logistics systems, and marketing, with additional consideration for projects that involve multiple farm or food businesses such as pooling products to fulfill larger orders. Eligible applicants include retail food sales outlets, producers, farmers, ranchers, food and farm cooperatives, value-added processors, aggregation and distribution businesses, food hubs, farmers markets, tribal food and farm enterprises, and food and farm business enterprises including school food service. To qualify, businesses must generally have fewer than 50 employees, less than $2 million in annual gross revenue, and a business address within the eligible Patterson Family Foundation catchment area. Nonprofits are not eligible. Grant funds may be used for website and online store development, marketing, feasibility studies, packaging, equipment, alterations of existing buildings or facilities, construction, personnel costs for staff working directly on the project, post-harvest processing (such as washing, cooling, and packing), and further meat processing after slaughter and initial processing. Funds cannot be used for agricultural production inputs like seeds or feed, animal slaughter or initial meat processing steps, building or land acquisition, ongoing operating costs such as rent and utilities, public education or training projects, or basic research and development. The grant operates on a reimbursement basis, with no matching funds required, and projects must be completed within 6 months of the contract start date.

Through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) along with other participating Institutes encourages submission of applications proposing to conduct secondary data analysis and integration of existing datasets and database resources, with the ultimate aim to elucidate cancer risk and related outcomes (e.g., risk prediction or reduction, survival, or response to treatment, etc.). The goal of this initiative is to address key scientific questions relevant to cancer by supporting the analysis of existing clinical, environmental, surveillance, health services, vital statistics, behavioral, lifestyle, genomic, and molecular profiles data. Applicants are encouraged to leverage and perform innovative analyses of the existing data. Applications may include new research aims that are being addressed with existing data, new or advanced methods of analyses, or novel combinations and integration of datasets that allow the exploration of important scientific questions in cancer research.

This program gives grants to businesses in Salem’s Riverfront Downtown area to improve their building safety and security to address homelessness. Companies can get up to $30,000 to use on security fencing/gates, exterior building lighting or security systems, trash/recycling enclosures, landscaping, interior lighting for storefronts, and building entrance improvements/

SelectFlorida offers a variety of trade grants through the Florida Export Diversification & Expansion program to help qualified companies start exporting for the first time or diversify into new overseas markets. Grants are offered for marketing plans, website localization, market development and trade shows.