President's Innovation Fund

The President's Innovation Fund (PIF) aims to build on the strong tradition of fundamental research at The City College of New York to fuel innovations that would be accessible to the broader community as products, technologies, physical devices, or computer applications with commercial potential. These funds are to be utilized to facilitate the development of such innovations for which the scientific/technological bases have already been established.

• Posted Date: December 15, 2025
• Application materials available: February 2, 2026
• Applications Due: April 1, 2026
• Awards Announcement: May 15, 2026
• Total Award Amount: $50,000 to be disbursed across at most 2 projects

This program is open to all full-time faculty. Additional criteria include:

• This funding mechanism is not intended for basic research. It is meant to fund an idea/process/product that has commercial potential. The application will require demonstration of a proof of concept, with priority going to demonstrations closer to application (e.g., cellular efficacy of a small molecule inhibitor prioritized over in vitro binding).
• This mechanism is designed to fund a specific milestone for commercialization e.g., building of a prototype or expanding the efficacy of drug-like molecule in multiple cell lines.
• While disclosure of the invention is not required at the time of application, disclosure to CUNY’s Technology Commercialization Office (TCO) is required before the funds are made available.
• This mechanism may be used to fund research staff, students, and supplies. PI salaries, summer or academic, cannot be supported through these funds. These funds may also be used for a variety of costs towards commercialization e.g., costs of patent applications that are not covered by other sources or rental costs for innovation cluster workspaces.       
   

Poster Presentation & Community Engagement

In collaboration with the Office of the Provost, CCNY will host an annual Innovation Day in early February (tentative date: Feb. 10), prior to the PIF application deadline. Innovation Day will be a campus-wide presentation and networking event showcasing translational research, emerging technologies, and innovation-oriented projects across disciplines.

Faculty considering applying to PIF are strongly encouraged to present their work at Innovation Day. While participation is not required and is not part of the formal PIF review process, the event provides a valuable opportunity to refine project framing, receive early feedback, and engage with potential collaborators, mentors, and campus leadership.

Innovation Day will also include participation from industry representatives and external partners with interests aligned to CCNY's research strengths. A key goal of Innovation Day for prospective PIF applicants is to facilitate early connections with potential industry partners who may serve as collaborators, advisors, licensees, or future commercialization partners as projects mature.

Innovation Day is intended to:

• Increase visibility of CCNY research with translational and commercial potential
• Provide early technical and market-facing feedback that may strengthen subsequent PIF applications
• Enable connections between faculty innovators and industry partners
• Foster a shared culture of innovation and cross-disciplinary exchange across the College

Additional details regarding registration, poster guidelines, participating organizations, and event logistics will be announced separately.

All proposals will be reviewed by an internal committee (President’s Innovation Fund Committee, PIFC) comprising of several eminent CCNY faculty members. Awards are at the discretion of the President based on the recommendations of the PIFC. It is expected that 1 (up to $50,000), but no more than 2 (up to $25,000 each) awards will be made each year. No awards will be made in a given year if none of the submitted proposals are deemed to be sufficiently innovative or impactful.

The membership of the PIFC are listed below:

• Doug Adams
• Alex Couzis
• Kevin Gardner
• Ranajet Ghose
• David Jeruzalmi
• Andoni Mourdoukoutas
• Dee Dee Mozeleski
• Ishita Mukerji
• Yingli Tian

Each proposal will receive a numerical score (maximum of 25 points) based on the five criteria below. Scores will be a major, but not the sole, driver of funding decisions. The PIFC serves in an advisory capacity; final funding decisions rest with the President and will reflect the strategic priorities of the College.

This criterion assesses the importance of the problem being addressed and the potential for the project, if successful, to generate meaningful societal benefit. Reviewers will consider the scale, urgency, and relevance of the need the project seeks to address.

Guiding questions:

• What specific societal, clinical, environmental, or economic problem does this project address, and who is affected
• How would successful completion of this project materially improve outcomes compared to the status quo?
• Why is this problem timely and important to address now?

This criterion evaluates whether the project team has the expertise, experience, and structure necessary to execute the proposed work and advance it toward translation and commercialization. Both technical and translational capabilities are considered.

Guiding questions:

• Does the team collectively possess the scientific, engineering, clinical, and/or market-relevant expertise required to deliver the proposed milestones?
• Are roles and responsibilities clearly defined, with appropriate leadership and decision-making capacity?
• Where gaps exist, are there credible plans to access additional expertise (e.g., collaborators, advisors, or external partners)?

This criterion assesses the clarity, maturity, and appropriateness of the intellectual property strategy associated with the project. Reviewers will consider whether the IP position supports future commercialization.

Guiding questions:

• What is the current status of the intellectual property (e.g., invention disclosure submitted, provisional or non-provisional patents filed, issued patents)?
• How does the proposed IP protect the core value of the technology and differentiate it from existing solutions?
• If IP has not yet been disclosed or filed, is there a clear and timely plan to do so in coordination with CUNY’s Technology Commercialization Office (TCO)?

Note: If a project is funded, no funds will be released prior to disclosure of the invention to CUNY’s TCO.

This criterion evaluates whether the project is sufficiently mature and well-planned to achieve its stated objectives within the proposed timeframe. This mechanism is intended for translational work rather than basic research.

Guiding questions:

• Is the underlying science or technology already established through prior publications, prototypes, or substantial preliminary data?
• Are the proposed aims, milestones, and success metrics well-defined, realistic, and appropriate for the funding period?
• Do the proposed timeline and resources reasonably support the achievement of key technical or translational milestones?

This criterion assesses the likelihood that the project could lead to a viable product, service, or platform with a credible path to market. Reviewers will consider both near-term and longer-term commercialization prospects.

Guiding questions:

• Is there a clearly articulated use case and target customer or end user for the first product?
• What is the proposed path to market entry (e.g., licensing, startup formation, partnership), and is it commercially reasonable?
• What is the anticipated timeframe to market (in years), and what stage of commercialization has the project currently reached?