Project Call 4.0: Technology & Innovation, Education & Workforce Development and 4S
BioMADE is pleased to issue Project Call 4.0, Accelerating Biomanufacturing Innovation: Advancing Solutions for Greener Chemistry, Low-Resource Environments, and Process Intensification. White Paper submissions for projects that contribute to building a sustainable, domestic, end-to-end bioindustrial manufacturing ecosystem are now being accepted.
Project Call 4.0 will follow a unique format, focusing on a set of cross-disciplinary solutions that advances biomanufacturing innovation. The focus areas are topic-specific and should advance bioindustrial manufacturing to support diverse applications, including alternative proteins, cultivated meat, feedstocks, additives, specialty chemicals, ingredients, and other product categories. The focus areas are:
Accelerate the transition to greener chemistry
Develop biomanufacturing solutions for low-resource environments
Process integration and process intensification
Successful proposals will describe in detail how the project aligns with the focus area(s). Projects must also align to a minimum of one BioMADE program area: Technology and Innovation, Education and Workforce Development, and/or Safety, Security, Sustainability, and Social Responsibility (4S). However, incorporating more than one program area into a project is highly encouraged and will be scored more favorably during the review process.
Technology & Innovation
Projects that have a Technology and Innovation component should address at least one of the project call focus areas within Biomanufacturing Readiness Levels (BioMRLs) 4-7, as well as align with BioMADE’s Technical Roadmap. The Technical Roadmap is a strategic plan organized around a set of technical landmarks that, when reached, will strengthen the foundation of bioindustrial manufacturing in the United States. The Roadmap includes an in-depth explanation of BioMADE’s Technical Modules, a set of Representative Production Scenarios for biomanufacturing, and a prioritized list of technical needs by Innovation Area and Production Scenario.
The Technical Roadmap is available to BioMADE members (all except Training tier) as a member benefit through the BioMADE Member Portal. If you don’t have a Member Portal account set up yet, please reach out to memberportal@biomade.org to request one.
Education & Workforce Development
Successful Education & Workforce Development submissions will include innovative strategies to meet and exceed the challenge of preparing the future bioindustrial manufacturing workforce. All proposed work must demonstrate substantive industry investment in the proposed activities and clear pathways resulting in career employment. Proposals must align with BioMADE’s Education and Workforce Development Blueprint, Building National Capacity for Bioindustrial Manufacturing. The Blueprint serves as a strategic driver for sustainable, national, systems-level change for workforce development.
The Blueprint is available to BioMADE members as a member benefit through the BioMADE Member Portal. If you don’t have a Member Portal account set up yet, please reach out to memberportal@biomade.org to request one.
Safety, Security, Sustainability, and Social Responsibility (4S)
4S projects should address how the effort upholds related ethical principles and demonstrates and how they advance one or more of these 4S components (see Appendix B in the full Project Call). This may include work or research which promotes the protection of workers, consumers, the public or environments from harm, manages potential threats of misuse, contributes to the long-term viability of our economy or environment, or improves societal welfare by creating positive outcomes for stakeholders, communities, or the public.
Timeline and Informational Webinars
Key dates for proposal submission and decisions for Project Call 4.0 are:
November 8, 2023: Project Call 4.0 is released
November 16, 2023 at 9:00 am PT | 12:00 pm ET: Proposer’s Day Webinar (see below for recording)
November 16, 2023 at 12:00 pm PT | 3:00 pm ET: Project Teaming Webinar (BioMADE Members only)
December 20, 2023: White Papers due by 5:00 pm PT | 7:00 pm CT
Week of January 22, 2024: Notification of advancement or declination
February 28, 2024: Full proposals due by 5:00 pm PT | 7:00 pm CT
Week of March 25, 2024: Notification of funding decision
June 2024: Anticipated project start date
Proposer’s Day Webinar Recording
Submitting White Papers
This funding opportunity is only open to BioMADE members in good standing; click here for more information about becoming a member. Project cost share of 1:1 is required; find additional information about cost share and other eligibility requirements in the Project Call.
This will be a two-step solicitation. All proposals require submission of a maximum five-page, single-spaced white paper prior to submission of a full proposal. White papers will be reviewed based on a rubric to determine their alignment with the requirements of the Project Call instructions. Suitable projects will be invited for full proposal submission.
Project Call 4.0 applications must be made via the Proposal Submission Platform on the BioMADE’s Member Portal. Watch this introductory video to find out more about this new feature. For more information, join a training and/or Q&A session covering details on accessing the portal and platform.
Training – Friday, November 10, 2023
Training – Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Q&A Session – Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Teaming
BioMADE encourages teaming among organizations for this Project Call. If you're looking for a project partner, visit the Member Portal discussion boards to indicate your capabilities, areas of interest, and what you are looking for in a partnership. Make sure you’ve opted in to sharing your contact information with other members by clicking on the person icon in the upper right corner and select “Settings” from the dropdown menu. On the settings page, scroll down to “Profile Visibility” and click on the dropdown arrow next to each heading and choose “Members.”
Additionally, BioMADE will be facilitating a unique member teaming webinar on November 16, 2023 at 2:00 pm CT | 12:00 pm PT. During this webinar, BioMADE members with have the opportunity to connect with potential project partners, identify capacity needs, and participate in breakout discussions.
More Information and Questions
Find answers to frequently asked questions about project funding here. For questions about the submission process or to set up an optional meeting with a Program Manager to discuss your idea, reach out to proposals@biomade.org.