This challenge is closed to submissions.
2023 "$100,000 Start an SUD Startup" Challenge
Testing novel ideas addressing SUD that can be fostered into biotech startups
Submission period:
Closed on 11/15/23 11:00 PM UTCTotal cash prizes:
$100,000The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), one of the components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announces the annual “$100,000 Start an SUD Startup” Challenge. The Challenge goal is to support research ideas in the area of substance use disorders (SUDs) that are intended to be the foundation for the development of successful new startups. NIDA expects that the Challenge will enable the winning teams to test the premise that their research idea can be fostered into a biotech startup, and that eventually the newly created startups will contribute to the pool of innovative small business companies that can successfully compete for NIDA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding.
The Challenge is to be administered in two stages. Up to 12 winning teams will be offered a non-cash prize of a 6-month-long product development mentorship from NIDA biomedical entrepreneurship experts in Stage 1. The teams that successfully complete the training process, culminating in each team’s startup presentation, will be awarded up to $10,000 cash prize per team in Stage 2. The Challenge total purse is up to $100,000.
Subject of the Challenge
NIDA is reissuing this Challenge because of its continued success and strong popularity within the community. The Challenge is a competition for teams of participants with research ideas in the substance use disorder (SUD) research area. These research ideas are purposefully intended to be the foundation for the development of new successful biomedical startups. As a Prize, NIDA offers up to $100,000 in monetary prizes and dedicated one-on-one technical mentoring from NIDA biomedical entrepreneurship experts. NIDA expects that this Challenge will inspire and enable the winning teams to test the premise that their SUD research idea can be fostered into a biotech startup. This Challenge is unique because NIDA intends to provide prize money and dedicated biomedical entrepreneurial assistance to the “would-be” startup founders much earlier than most investors, incubators, or traditional models of research funding (e.g., small business grants). NIDA anticipates that the newly created startups will eventually contribute to the pool of innovative small business companies that can successfully compete for NIDA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding.
What does it take to participate in the Challenge? The participants must have a research idea directly related to SUD or that could be extended or adapted to be useful for SUD.
For a platform technology, the research idea must be broad enough to address multiple conditions, or indications, including SUD. For example, if the idea would only work for cancer or diabetes, entering this Challenge is not appropriate. However, if the plan is to test an idea for a research tool that would further an understanding of neurobiology relevant to SUD to advance the field faster and with greater fidelity, entering this Challenge is appropriate.
The participants must also intend to create a startup around their research idea to build the startup product for the target customers. Here, the term “product” is used in its broadest definition. Product is any source of value for the people who become customers. Services, subscriptions, software as a service (SaaS), physical/tangible products (biomedical devices, drugs, etc.), aggregations, etc. could all provide value and thus be considered startup products. The startup product could be the result of novel scientific discoveries, repurposing an existing technology for a new use, extending a research observation or discovery made in a different scientific field into the SUD area, devising a new business model or distribution/delivery channel that unlocks new value, or simply bringing a product or service to a previously underserved customer.
There are many factors that can affect whether an individual uses or misuses substances, receives a diagnosis of SUD, gets access to treatment, and even continues with treatment. Therefore, in addition to the types of products listed in the paragraph above, NIDA is especially interested in products addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH). SDOH includes factors like where someone lives, what type of job they have, their education level, how much they earn, and whether they have support networks, among other things. Products focused on SDOH may include things like products or services enabling transportation to treatment facilities, improving food access in the community, making connections to social services, determining options for health insurance, and increasing financial literacy and capability. Increasing access to treatment and retention in treatment requires that all aspects of SDOH be understood and addressed, and NIDA is dedicated to doing just that to increase the likelihood that patients can reach recovery. NIDA highly encourages those with ideas for products that would address SDOH to submit their ideas to this Challenge.
The potential startup founders must have the passion, drive, discipline, and ability to work collaboratively to push forward under conditions of business uncertainty and have an eagerness to be coached. The teams must also have time to dedicate to the 6-month product development mentorship and the work involved. The mentorship curriculum will include monthly lectures, assigned work to be completed and provided to the team’s mentor, and monthly one-on-one meetings with the team’s mentor.
The winners of this Challenge are offered training and encouraged to use the prize money to develop a minimum viable product (MVP), to obtain customer feedback to discover if the MVP meets the customer needs, and to assess the feasibility of science-based small business creation. Post Challenge, as with all other NIH grant applicants, NIDA staff will provide technical assistance and guidance about the grant submission process, including how to submit an SBIR/STTR application to NIDA’s small business programs.
Key Dates
- Challenge Launch: August 2, 2023
- Submission Start: August 7, 2023 9:00 AM ET
- Submission End: November 15, 2023 06:00 PM ET
- Judging Period: November 27, 2023 to December 8, 2023
- Stage 1, Winners Announced: December 18, 2023
- Stage 2, Winners Announced: July 2024
Statutory Authority to Conduct the Challenge
NIDA is conducting this Challenge under the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Reauthorization Act of 2010, as amended [15 U.S.C. § 3719]. The general purpose of NIDA is to conduct and support biomedical and behavioral research, health-services research, research training, and health information dissemination with respect to the prevention of drug use and the treatment of substance use disorders. This Challenge is consistent with and advances the mission of NIDA as described in 42 U.S.C. 285o in that it supports biotech startups in the development of research ideas that would further an understanding and management of SUD. As this Challenge is consistent with and advances the mission of NIDA in that it seeks to identify novel biomedical products to combat drug addiction, any submissions pursuing ideas in the areas of alcohol use disorder and pain will not be accepted.
Total cash prizes
Non-monetary prizes
Prize description
The total prize purse is $100,000. The Challenge is to be administered in two stages. Up to 12 winning teams will be offered a non-cash prize of a 6-month long product development mentorship from NIDA biomedical entrepreneurship experts in Stage 1. To successfully complete the training program, the entire team should be deeply committed and dedicated to the time-intensive mentorship curriculum. Each team member should plan to spend at least 25 hours per month on mentoring seminars and learning exercises for the entire duration of the 6-month program. The teams that successfully complete the training process, culminating in each team’s startup presentation, will be awarded up to $10,000 per team in Stage 2. The names of both Stage 1 and 2 winners and the titles of their submissions will be posted on the NIDA website.
Award Approving Official:
The Award Approving Official for this Challenge will be the Director of NIDA.
Payment of the Prize:
Prizes awarded under this Challenge will be paid by electronic funds transfer and may be subject to Federal income taxes. NIH/NIDA will comply with the Internal Revenue Service withholding and reporting requirements, where applicable. Winners must be able to provide bank account and routing information in order to receive the cash prize funds and must be prepared to obtain additional documentation or funds transfer information from their financial institution as needed. NIDA will pay the cash prize to the Team Leader who registers and submits on behalf of a Team. NIDA reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to (a) cancel, suspend, or modify the Challenge, and/or (b) not award any prizes if no entries are deemed worthy.
Eligibility requirements
Eligibility Rules for Participating in the Challenge
Rules
The Challenge is open to teams of participants 18 years of age or older. No prior startup experience is necessary. Participants must be a group of individuals (i.e., a team assembled with the purpose of participating in this Challenge). Teams of at least three participants are encouraged. Teams may be a newly formed group of founders, may represent an entity (e.g., academic institution, non-profit organization), or may have applied to past “Start a SUD Startup” Challenge competitions. If the team applied to a past Challenge and was not selected for a prize, they may apply again with the same or a new idea, and if the team applied to a past Challenge and was selected for a prize, they may apply again with a new idea.
(1) To be eligible to win a prize under this Challenge, Participants —
- Shall have registered to participate in the Challenge under the rules promulgated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as published in this announcement;
- Shall have complied with all the requirements set forth in this announcement;
- In the case of a team, the Team Leader shall be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. However, non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents can participate as a member of a team that otherwise satisfies the eligibility criteria. Non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents are not eligible to win a monetary prize (in whole or in part). Their participation as part of a winning team, if applicable, may be recognized when the results are announced.
- Shall not be a federal entity or federal employee acting within the scope of their employment;
- Shall not be an employee of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS, or any other component of HHS) acting in their personal capacity;
- Who are employed by a federal agency or entity other than HHS (or any component of HHS), should consult with an agency ethics official to determine whether the federal ethics rules will limit or prohibit the acceptance of a prize under this Challenge;
- Shall not be a judge of the Challenge, or any other party involved with the design, production, execution, or distribution of the Challenge or the immediate family of such a party (i.e., spouse, parent, step-parent, child, or step-child).
- Must have an intention to form a United States-based startup or be a United States-based new startup (i.e., in the early stage of formation and growth).
- Shall be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission.
(2) Federal grantees may not use federal funds from a grant award to develop their Challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of their Challenge submissions.
(3) Federal contractors may not use federal funds from a contract to develop their Challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of their Challenge submissions.
(4) By participating in this Challenge, Participants agree to assume any and all risks and waive claims against the federal government and its related entities, except in the case of willful misconduct, for any injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from participation in this Challenge, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise.
(5) Based on the subject matter of the Challenge, the type of work that it will possibly require, as well as an analysis of the likelihood of any claims for death, bodily injury, property damage, or loss potentially resulting from Challenge participation, no Participant participating in the Challenge is required to obtain liability insurance or demonstrate financial responsibility in order to participate in this Challenge.
(6) By participating in this Challenge, each Participant agrees to indemnify the federal government against third party claims for damages arising from or related to Challenge activities.
(7) A Participant shall not be deemed ineligible because the Participant used federal facilities or consulted with federal employees during the Challenge if the facilities and employees are made available to all Participants participating in the Challenge on an equitable basis.
(8) By participating in this Challenge, each Participant warrants that they are sole author or owner of, or has the right to use, any copyrightable works that the submission comprises, that the works are wholly original with the Participant (or is an improved version of an existing work that the Participant has sufficient rights to use and improve), and that the submission does not infringe any copyright or any other rights of any third party of which the Participant is aware.
(9) By participating in this Challenge, each Participant grants to the NIH permission to display publicly their names and title of their submission on the NIDA website. Each Participant will retain all other intellectual property rights (e.g., copyright) in their submissions, as applicable. To receive an award, Participants will not be required to transfer their intellectual property rights to NIH, but Participants must grant to the federal government the permissions recited herein.
(10) Each Participant agrees to follow all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies.
(11) Each Participant participating in this Challenge must comply with all terms and conditions of these rules, and participation in this Challenge constitutes each such Participant’s full and unconditional agreement to abide by these rules. Winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements herein.
Terms and conditions
Disqualification:
Submissions may be disqualified for plagiarism, falsification of any information submitted, use of copyrighted material without permission, and use of profanity, violent images, or nudity. NIDA is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible, or misdirected entries, which will be disqualified. As this Challenge is consistent with and advances the mission of
NIDA, in that it seeks to identify novel biomedical products to combat drug addiction, any submissions pursuing ideas in the areas of alcohol use disorder and pain will not be accepted.
Payment of the Prize:
Prizes awarded under this Challenge will be paid by electronic funds transfer and may be subject to Federal income taxes. NIH/NIDA will comply with the Internal Revenue Service withholding and reporting requirements, where applicable. Winners must be able to provide bank account and routing information in order to receive the cash prize funds and must be prepared to obtain additional documentation or funds transfer information from their financial institution as needed. NIDA will pay the cash prize to the Team Leader who registers and submits on behalf of a Team.
NIDA reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to (a) cancel, suspend, or modify the Challenge, and/or (b) not award any prizes if no entries are deemed worthy.
Basis Upon Which Stage 1 Winners Will be Selected. The judging panel, comprised of federal employee scientists, will consider the following 4 criteria and make recommendations to the award approving official based upon their assessments of the criteria.
- Team/Founders Aptitudes (0-20 points). Does the team demonstrate a high level of ability and dedication? Is the passion, drive, discipline, ability to work collaboratively, and willingness to push forward under conditions of extreme business uncertainty successfully demonstrated? Is the commitment to participate in the 6-month mentorship process documented? Is the eagerness for coaching demonstrated?
- Validation of Unmet Need (0-10 points). Is there a significant need for the proposed product or service? Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field of SUD/drug use research? How was the presence of the need established and validated? Is there any evidence of market research?
- Idea Novelty (0-5 points). Does the proposed idea utilize novel theoretical concepts, approaches, methodologies, instrumentation, service, or interventions for SUD/drug use research? Will the resulting product successfully differentiate from the currently used approaches and practices to address this same validated need?
- Commercialization (0-10 points). Are the product end-users and purchasers clearly identified? Is there evidence of market research or analysis of competitors? Is there a clear regulatory path for the product/service to reach the market? Is there a clear reimbursement path for the product/service to reach the market?
Submissions that are responsive and comply with the entry requirements will be reviewed by a panel of judges consisting of federal employees. The responsive and compliant submissions will be scored in accordance with the judging criteria outlined above. Failure to meet a minimum standard for any one criterion may disqualify a submission. The score for each submission will be the sum of the scores from each of the voting judges. The scores will be listed in order, from highest to lowest. Challenge contenders with sufficiently high scores may then be contacted via tele- or videoconference. Those meetings will be used to gather more details about the information provided in the Submission Package and to determine the up-to-date level of participants’ availability, interest, and commitment. Final winners of Stage 1 will be determined based on the judges’ scoring and tele- or videoconference meetings.
Basis Upon Which Stage 2 Winners Will be Selected. It is anticipated that Stage 2 winners will be selected based upon their successful completion of the mentorship process and the quality of their presentation during the Peer Board Meeting, a final meeting where all teams present their progress and a summary of the work they have completed throughout the mentorship process.
Registration Process:
Participants must be a group of individuals (i.e., a team assembled with the purpose of participating in this Challenge). Each team is required to identify a Team Leader who registers and submits a required Submission Package on behalf of the team. To be eligible to win a prize in this challenge, the Team Leader shall be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. The Team Leader must submit the completed registration form and all submission materials to the Challenge.gov submission portal by 6:00 PM Eastern on November 15, 2023. You can download the registration form here. To access the challenge.gov submission portal, click on the orange "Apply for this Challenge" button above. You will be asked to create an account, and then you will be able to enter all parts of your completed Submission Package. Instructions on how to fill out all the fields in the submission portal are listed below the Submission Requirements section.
Submission Requirements:
Stage 1
Each submission for this Challenge requires a complete Submission Package. The Submission Package includes the registration form, a 5-minute video introducing the team, and a 4-page written proposal describing the idea (see requirements below for the video and proposal). Both the 5-minute video and the proposal will be evaluated. Submissions that do not follow the format described below will be disqualified and removed from the prize considerations.
(1) Video. A 5-minute video must be posted to YouTube and the link to the video provided. In contrast to the proposal, the video is intended to introduce the team, not the research idea. The team and its commitment to the mentorship process are evaluated under the “Team/Founders Aptitudes” judging criterion, which allows for the most points.
In the YouTube video:
- In one minute or less, tell NIDA who on your team is the lead “hacker,” also known as technical lead, with the skills to develop your product and to focus on the available technology options and requirements.
- In one minute or less, tell NIDA who on your team is the lead “hipster,” also known as the end-user/customer need lead, the person concerned with the customer experience and design. This team member understands the end-user of your product and focuses on the medical and healthcare delivery issues (most often, a practicing SUD physician, clinical department manager, etc.).
- In one minute or less, tell NIDA who on your team is the lead “hustler,” also known as the business or entrepreneurial lead, with the skills or aspirations to focus on the overall business objectives, customer discovery, business plan, etc.
- Tell NIDA how long you have known each other and relay something that can illustrate the drive or the desire of each team member to become a startup founder. What unique skill set, background, or experience does this team have that has led them to pursue this idea?
- Most importantly, convince NIDA of the team’s commitment to entrepreneurship and the product development mentorship. Tell NIDA something about each team member that demonstrates a high level of perseverance, commitment, and grit.
(2) Proposal. The proposal must consist of a PDF file with at least 1-inch margins and be no more than four (4) pages long. Font size must be no smaller than 11-point Arial. All submissions must be in English. The participants must not use the HHS logo or official seal or the logo of NIH or NIDA in the submissions and must not claim federal government endorsement.
In the proposal:
- Need Validation. Explain the methods you used (how, when, where, whom) to determine whether the product the team aspires to develop is needed by the target customer and whether that end-user/customer would be willing to pay for the product. Include calculation of market size and analysis of competing products or current standard of care. (1 page)
- Idea Description. Describe how your research idea would address the identified (clinical) need, further an understanding of SUD and be the foundation for a successful startup. The research idea must be defendable and evidence based. Include references as needed. (1 page)
- Prototype Description and Step-by-Step Use of Final Product, as Envisioned. Describe, in as many details as possible, what the prototype of your envisioned product would look like. Then, walk the Challenge judges through the typical use of the product, using simple terms and instructions. (1.5 pages)
- Team Technical Competence and Research Experience. Convince the Challenge judges of your technical competence, commitment to engaging in the 6-month mentorship program, and willingness to be coached. Be brief, persuasive, and only present the relevant information. Do not use the NIH Bibliographic Sketch format. (0.5 page)
Stage 2
Each Stage 1 winning team will be required to submit a startup package, produced as a result of the 6-month mentorship, and a presentation for the Peer Board Meeting. Further details on the Submission Package for Stage 2 will be provided to Stage 1 winners during the mentorship process.
- Startup package (5 pages)
- Peer Board Presentation (5 slides)
Challenge.gov Submission Portal Instructions:
Once you have clicked on the orange "Apply for this Challenge" button above and are directed to the submission page, follow the directions below to enter your Submission Package:
- Title field: Enter the Title for your team's submission.
- Brief Description field (optional): Enter a brief description of your team's idea. If you do not wish to include a description, enter "N/A."
- Description field: Enter "see uploaded files."
- Upload files: Upload completed and signed entry form and the Proposal. The Proposal must be a PDF file as specified above, and the entry form may be a PDF or image file (.jpg, .png, or .tiff).
- External URL field (required): Enter the link to your YouTube video. Make sure that your YouTube video is set to "unlisted" so that the judges will be able to view the video using the link provided.
Entry form can be downloaded here: https://nida.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2023-start-an-sud-startup-registration-form.docx
Challenge.gov Submission Portal Instructions:
Once you have clicked on the orange "Apply for this Challenge" button above and are directed to the submission page, follow the directions below to enter your Submission Package:
- Title field: Enter the Title for your team's submission.
- Brief Description field (optional): Enter a brief description of your team's idea. If you do not wish to include a description, enter "N/A."
- Description field: Enter "see uploaded files."
- Upload files: Upload completed and signed entry form and the Proposal. The Proposal must be a PDF file as specified above, and the entry form may be a PDF or image file (.jpg, .png, or .tiff).
- External URL field (required): Enter the link to your YouTube video. Make sure that your YouTube video is set to "unlisted" so that the judges will be able to view the video using the link provided.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) announced the 2023 “$100,000 Start an SUD Startup” Challenge in August of 2023, and now that the submissions have gone through the judging process, NIDA is delighted to share the results of the Challenge.
The following teams have been selected by the NIDA judges to receive the Stage 1 prize of personalized entrepreneurial mentoring for each team. Winner notification letters with instructions will be sent to the email addresses of the Team Leader.
Congratulations to all Winners!
1. Submission #4354
Team Members: Barbara St. Marie, Nate Shaw, Alison Lynch, Laura Markewicz, Doug Nelson, and You Wang
Proposal Title: Reducing Opioid Misuse and Opioid Use Disorder Through Early Identification
2. Submission #4426
Team Members: Clara Guo, Aleksandra Galaszewicz, and Nicolas Kim
Proposal Title: Lucid.Care Labs: quantifying behavioral health
3. Submission #4437
Team Members: Heidi Lynch, Charlotte Blais, and Lydie Blundon
Proposal Title: Kadia Health Digital App
4. Submission #4442
Team Members: Sarah Clingan and Lori Mattingly
Proposal Title: XR Remedy: Immersive Telehealth Designed with the Patient's Needs in Mind
5. Submission #4444
Team Members: Beth Stormshak, Lisa Reiter, and Milagra Tyler
Proposal Title: A digital health tool for families to prevent substance use disorders in children
6. Submission #4446
Team Members: Rosita Wong, Sean Allen, Yogesh Khatri, and Michael Tong
Proposal Title: Develop an Office of AI JayBots
7. Submission #4447
Team Members: Alex Hatoum and Spencer Huggett
Proposal Title: Algorithms to Power the Next Wave of Drug Discovery for Substance Use Disorders
8. Submission #4448
Team Members: Kelly Vinh, Ethan Hernandez, Ben Breen, and Rachel Sloans
Proposal Title: Vaping Cessation Device: Reimagining the E-Cigarette
9. Submission #4453
Team Members: David Lee, Juan Carlos Pacheco, Alan Brookhart, and Kyle Jensen
Proposal Title: Combatting the dual chronic pain and opioid epidemic through a machine learning software for improved medicinal cannabis care
10. Submission #4454
Team Members: Somilez Francis, Shawkut Ali, and Arletha Lizana
Proposal Title: EquiCare: Bridging Health Gaps through Substance Use Support
11. Submission #4460
Team Members: Kaileigh Byrne, Alain Litwin, and Sab Babu
Proposal Title: Digital App for Stimulant Use Disorder Recovery Initiation and Maintenance
12. Submission #4461
Team Members: Asher Varon, Mahima Srivastava, and Srinivasan Raghavan
Proposal Title: QuikReversal: Accessible and Disposable Closed-Loop Wearable for Overdose Detection and Antidote Delivery
13. Submission #4467
Team Members: Lola Akintola, Yang Wang, and Luana Colloca
Proposal Title: A Personalized Virtual Reality Environment Tool to Mitigate Opioid Use Disorder
14. Submission #4470
Team Members: Chandra Fincke, Jeanie Chung, and Andrew Penna
Proposal Title: TaeSun: a convenient, portable, and all-inclusive fentanyl testing solution
15. Submission #4472
Team Members: Samay Shah, Huzefa Johar, Cole Olson, and Amy Pham
Proposal Title: Cellulose Nanofiber Hydrogel Bandage to Address the Xylazine Ulcer Epidemic
NIDA sincerely appreciates all the solvers who entered the Challenge and applauds their efforts to translate their research ideas into products that address substance use disorders.
If you have questions about this challenge, contact the NIDA Challenge team at NIDAChallenge@nih.gov.
