Accelerate UConn is UConn's National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Program. Its mission is to propel entrepreneurial teams whose technology concepts are likely candidates for commercialization. Participating teams will receive an introduction to the most critical elements of the I-Corps Curriculum and Lean Launchpad methodology. With the support of Accelerate UConn, teams will learn first-hand about entrepreneurship and explore the transition of their ideas, devices, processes, new scientific discoveries or other intellectual activities into the marketplace.LEARN MORE HERE (https://ccei.uconn.edu/programs/accelerate-uconn/)SEPTEMBER 2025 | SBIR THEME PROPELUS COHORTSBIR Program Dates September 10th from 12:30-2:00pm, Virtual September 17th from 12:30-3:30pm, Virtual September 24th from 12:30-3:30pm, Virtual October 1st from 12:30-3:30pm, Virtual October 15th from 12:30-3:30pm, Virtual Benefits One third of evaluation criteria that the NSF uses when reviewing SBIR proposals is connected to the 'Commercialization Potential' of the technology being proposed. Often, researchers and other technical founders struggle in this part of the application. After all, their expertise lies in the scientific potential of what is being proposed instead of the market that they were entering. This program offers technical founders with the training and the tools that they need to collect insights from the marketplace to effectively answer questions included in the Commercialization Potential sections of both the NSF's SBIR Phase 1 and SBIR Fast Track applications. Over the course of 6 weeks, participating teams will receive coaching on topics, and specific methods of Customer Discovery that will help them answer key measures of Commercialization Potential, including:Is there a compelling potential business model? What is your initial target market and its size? How have you validated this market needs your technology? Provide a detailed plan on your pathway to generate revenue and to become a self-sustaining entity. Present a compelling case that the project will significantly advance the readiness of the technology and strengthen its commercial position. Describe the value proposition of the proposed technology. Describe your plans to address regulatory (including permitting) or safety standards and ethical considerations involved in developing your technology and bringing your product or service to market. Provide a detailed description of the competitive landscape and your sustainable competitive advantage. Who Should Apply?Open to all applicants with an innovation they would like to commercialize and de-risk through the customer discovery process. However, this will be most helpful for teams planning to apply for SBIR within the next 12 months as it will provide information geared towards creating a strong application for the SBIR Phase I November 5 application deadline. Research teams, including community teams, who may have been ineligible for the National I-Corps Program and unaffiliated with a PI or a university/institution. Note: NSF requires evaluation of commercial potential before applicants are provided funding, and they expect teams to participate in Nationals after their application is accepted. Hence, this SBIR Regional Cohort is not a requirement for an SBIR application, but it will help teams with preparation and customer discovery. Funding Participants will be eligible to receive a stipend up to $2,000 to support costs incurred during the customer discovery program. Eligibility for this stipend is contingent upon full participation in each program session, office hours with instructors, and submission of a customer discovery log reflecting a minimum of 40 interviews.ApplyThe rolling application deadline for this cohort is 11:59pm on September 2nd, 2025. In addition to the application, teams applying to this program will need to interview with the program staff.APPLY HERE (https://airtable.com/app53MWXKthtVrnSa/shraKOfxrsUccF9ag)

Vibrant paintings by Andrea Sanchez and Jaii Marc Renee on display in the Celeste LeWitt Gallery — Join us for a meet and greet from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29.

Registration Opens: June 1, 2025 Registration Closes: September 2, 2025 at 8:00pm Recruitment Orientation: September 2, 2025 6:00-7:30pm PNM Orientation #1 (Groups 1-8) 8:00-9:30pm PNM Orientation #2 (Groups 9-16) Scholarship Round: September 3 & 4, 2025 4:00pm - 10:15pm (Two Days) Philanthropy Round: September 5, 2025 3:00pm - 12:30am Sisterhood Round: September 6, 2025 11:0am - 9:15pm Preference Round: September 7, 2025 9:00am - 3:30pm Bid Night: September 7, 2025 7:30pm - 10:00pm

The exhibiting artists are Marsha Borden, Helena Chastel, Kathryn Frund, Phoebe Godfrey, Hugh MacDonald, Bob Pavlik, Dan Potter, and R. Douglass Rice. Open Air 2025 is open daily and will remain on view through October 6, 2025. June 19, 2025 iis the last day to visit indoor art exhibitions. Exhibitions inside the AVS Gallery will resume on September 11, 2025

The UConn Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (i.e., UConn Pepper Center), plans to submit an application for competitive renewal to the National Institute on Aging at NIH. At this time, the UConn Pepper Center Pilot/Exploratory Studies Core (PESC) seeks letters of intent (LOIs) for studies to be included in the application. Studies selected for inclusion in the application will be funded contingent upon continued funding of the UConn Pepper Center. We are seeking Letters of Intent (LOIs) for 1-year pilot and exploratory studies that focus on enhancing function and independence in older adults while also advancing knowledge in the UConn Pepper Center theme of Precision Gerontology, and that will support future grant applications. We welcome a variety of research approaches, ranging from biological to clinical/behavioral to health services/community-based research. Projects focusing on cognition and behavior, host defense and immunity, voiding and continence, and mobility and falls are of particular interest. For proposed studies involving human subjects research, secondary data analysis-based projects are encouraged. Projects involving primary data collection are allowed but must be sufficiently feasible to complete within 1 year. LOIs are due by September 10, 2025 Full-time UConn and JAX faculty are eligible to apply for PESC funding. Priority will be given to junior faculty/early-stage investigators as well as established investigators pursuing aging-related research (relevant to Precision Gerontology) as a new area of research. Investigators may request up to $50,000 (direct costs) for a 1-year pilot project. Those interested in submitting an LOI are strongly encouraged to contact the PESC Co-Leaders Dr. Lisa Barry (libarry@uchc.edu) Dr. Blanka Rogina (rogina@uchc.edu) and to visit the UConn Pepper Center website to learn more about the theme of Precision Gerontology and the UConn Pepper Center Research Resource Cores. https://health.uconn.edu/pepper-center/ Those seeking to apply for UConn PESC funding must submit the following by September 10, 2025: 1. A 1-page Letter of Intent (LOI) that includes:Brief description of the Specific Aims, Significance, and Approach; Statement as to how the proposed study aligns with the UConn Pepper Center theme of Precision Gerontology; Statement of how the proposed study will utilize applicable UConn Pepper Center Research Resource Cores. 2. On a separate page, a brief budget and timeline 3. NIH Biosketch for Principal Investigator. Please send LOIs to Ms. Laura Masi (masi@uchc.edu) Individuals selected to submit full proposals will be notified by the PESC Co-Leaders.