The New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology is committed to encouraging technology economic development and job growth in New Jersey. Commission programming creates new technology jobs, brings innovation to the marketplace and creates collaborations between universities and companies.

The Commission funds projects focused on New Jersey priorities including:

• Life Science
• Nanotechnology/Advanced Materials
• Alternative Energy
• Telecommunications
• Computational Methods

 

The Commission on Science and Technology pays the salary for recent doctoral graduates of New Jersey universities to work in small New Jersey technology companies, providing companies with new talent and expertise. The Technology Fellowship Program provides doctoral graduates with valuable entrepreneur experience and helps create more high-quality high-tech jobs in New Jersey.

Award Amount: $65,000 salary for the first year, $75,000 salary for the second year – with an additional $10,000 each year to be spent on career development expenses for the postdoctoral fellow.

The Commission supports 12 technology business incubators throughout the state. Incubators provide a professional business environment, administrative support and significant networking opportunities within the entrepreneurial community. According to the National Business Incubation Association, start-up companies in incubators have a higher success rate than those developing without the critical business assistance provided by incubators.

The Commission provides funding to New Jersey technology companies, in partnership with a New Jersey research university, company or institution for proof-of-concept research and development activities necessary for commercialization of an identified technology. The Edison Innovation R&D Fund, formerly the Entrepreneurial Partnering Fund, promotes collaboration between universities and companies, increases the amount and value of intellectual property, provides early-stage financing and commercialization support and grows technology businesses in New Jersey.
Award Amount: $100,000-$500,000

The Edison Innovation Centers of Excellence Federal Matching Program seeks to bring more federal research dollars to New Jersey by leveraging federal investments in New Jersey’s research universities and institutions. The Commission will provide matching funds up to $500,000 to increase the success of receiving federal grants for research centers of excellence in the state’s priority technology areas. This program will strengthen the federal proposal of successful applicants by committing to make a significant investment in the center of excellence once awarded by the federal agency.

The Commission provides funding to universities to make services available to companies through the University Intellectual Property Program. For companies interested in licensing intellectual property developed at universities, funds are available for proof-of concept work. The Commission provides funding for universities to help companies with grant writing, such as ProposaLab@NJIT. Universities throughout the state have offices dedicated to assisting companies with transferring technology developed at the university into the marketplace. The Commission provides funds to NJIT, Princeton University, Rutgers University and UMDNJ. In FY 06 the Commission awarded $2 million toward university technology transfer programs.

The Commission provides grants to companies which have completed a SBIR Phase I award and are awaiting a SBIR Phase II from a federal agency to help bridge the funding gap that occurs. This SBIR Bridge Grant Program increases the success and maximizes the growth of small New Jersey companies in moving from Phase I to Phase II.
Award Amount: $50,000

Companies located in one of the twelve NJCST technology incubators can receive grants to assist emerging technology businesses achieve a critical milestone in their commercialization path. The Incubator Seed Fund Grant support compliments the mentoring and business support provided by the incubators.
Award Amount: $20,000-$50,000

The New Jersey Stem Cell Research Grant program was created to encourage development of cell-based therapies for patients suffering incurable diseases and generate a surge in technological innovations and economic development. New Jersey was the first state to publicly fund human embryonic stem cell research (hESC), including hESC line prohibited from use in federal funding restrictions.

The Stem Cell Research Grant Program is open to all New Jersey academic and non-profit institutions, as well as for-profit companies collaborating with non-profit organizations.

The purpose of the New Jersey Stem Cell Research Grant Program is:

• To advance New Jersey’s position as a leader in scientific research and bring the benefits of stem cell research to New Jersey residents
• To encourage and enable the state’s renowned research and life sciences communities to develop new, innovative treatments for patients
• To support ground-breaking research that contributes to the understanding of stem cells and their potential
• To generate economic opportunity and job growth in New Jersey by accelerating commercialization of new therapies and new technologies related to stem cell research

 

The Commission offers a series of training sessions throughout the year to help entrepreneurs gain the necessary tools to successfully submit SBIR/STTR Phase I and Phase II proposals to one of the 11 federal agencies. SBIR/STTR training sessions focus on different agency solicitations and topics, and cost a nominal fee to attend. All New Jersey companies, entrepreneurs and students interested in the SBIR/STTR process are eligible and encouraged to attend.

The Commission hosts an annual Stem Cell Scientific Symposium to provide hundreds of scientists an opportunity to network with other researchers, industry representatives, venture capitalists and funders such as the National Institutes of Health and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The Conference includes keynote speakers as well as poster sessions for scientists to present their work. The Conference showcases New Jersey’s life science assets, including a thriving pharmaceutical and biotech presence, a world-class Stem Cell Institute, a dedicated funding source for research, a supportive political environment and a rich supply of cord and placental blood for research.

The Commission’s goal for incubators is to create successful new business which can stand on their own and generate high technology jobs in New Jersey. The Commission funds feasibility studies for groups interested in creating a new incubator. Completing a feasibility study is the first step in evaluating the potential for a new incubator.

NJMEP assists small and medium sized companies to become more productive, profitable and globally competitive. NJMEP offers seminar/training sessions and development of a preliminary assessment of the needs of start-up high-tech businesses.