Virginia Catalyst Announces COVID-19 Grant Funding

Therapeutics for life-threatening symptoms associated with COVID-19

Now accepting applications for this special COVID-19 Grant Round

The Virginia Catalyst, also known as the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Corporation (VBHRC), announced that it is conducting a formalized, competitive, one-time COVID-19 Therapeutic Drug Grant Funding Round of up to $5,000,000 to:

• Support the acceleration of clinical testing by one or more Virginia companies of a therapeutic drug that treats life-threatening symptoms caused by COVID-19
• Encourage collaborative partnerships between investigators at one or more Virginia research universities and each grant recipient
• Increase Virginia’s national and global competitiveness in the life sciences by creating critical mass through collaborations between and among Virginia’s research universities and industry partners
• Create investment or jobs in Virginia

The Catalyst is now accepting applications for this special COVID-19 Grant Round.

Applications must be received by February 19, 2021 at 5:00 PM EST. Applications will be reviewed by a panel of independent hired consultants affiliated with Virginia research universities, and scored by an independent review team of scientists, venture capitalists and CEOs of Virginia-based life science companies. Qualified application teams will be invited to present their proposal (virtually) on March 18, 2021. Awards will be announced March 26, 2021. The application form, along with funding criteria and frequently asked questions, are available on the Virginia Catalyst website.

“We are excited to be able to provide this funding in order to advance therapeutics that address life-threatening symptoms associated with COVID,” said Mike Grisham, CEO, Virginia Catalyst. “Through our Grant Round program, the Virginia Catalyst continues to support teams of investigators from research institutions and industry to move their discoveries in the life sciences from laboratories to commercialization. Cumulatively through the first eleven funding rounds, Virginia Catalyst has dedicated a total of $21.2 million for 46 collaborative projects. Together, these projects have created over 200 new jobs and have attracted an additional $231.5 million of investment capital from venture capital, private equity, corporations and government agencies including DARPA, NIH and NSF. With this special round of funding, the Virginia Catalyst will serve to support the advancement of these greatly needed life-saving therapeutics and help further strengthen Virginia’s life sciences.”

About Virginia Catalyst
Virginia Biosciences Health Research Corporation (VBHRC), known as Virginia Catalyst, has a vision of advancing life sciences throughout Virginia as a means of addressing large unmet medical needs to improve human health and to create high-paying jobs throughout the Commonwealth. Funded by the Virginia General Assembly’s General fund, the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech, Eastern Virginia Medical School, George Mason University, Old Dominion University, and William and Mary, the Virginia Catalyst has funding opportunities to support collaborative life science projects in the Commonwealth.