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A pitching competition designed to identify and incubate breakthrough "moon-shot" ideas that push the boundaries of traditional R&D, with selected projects receiving funding and Sanofi R&D support.
Overview
- Up to USD $500,000 per project (inclusive of all costs) for 18-month research journey
- Support from Sanofi's R&D expertise and resources
- Targets "high-risk cutting edge ideas that currently falls outside the scope of existing funding mechanisms"
- Up to 3 winners selected through competitive pitching process
- Virtual pitching showcase opportunity with Sanofi key decision makers
Priority Areas
- Next-Gen approaches to counter aging related cellular and tissue dysfunction: including approaches to restore cellular and tissue function, counteract age-related immune decline, prevent chronic inflammation, and retain vaccine response
- Paradigm shifting strategies for targeted delivery of large molecules: including proteins (antigenic and therapeutic) and genetic material across biological barriers (skin, mucosa, BBB, intracellular/intranuclear)
Eligibility & Requirements
- Academic Labs or Biotech companies based in North America or Europe
- Projects must have translational approach
- Basic science proposals will not be considered for review
- Proposals must match one of the two specified categories
Timeline
- January 31, 2026: Pre-Proposal submission deadline
- Mid February 2026: Pre-Proposal evaluation completed
- March 31, 2026: Full Proposal submission deadline (by invitation only)
- April 30, 2026: Full Proposal evaluation completed
- May 2026: Finalists selection
- June 2026: Virtual pitching competition showcase
- Q4 2026: Contracting phase begins
Please note: Full RFP is attached in the "More Information" section of this page. Faculty and researchers interested in applying for these opportunities based on technologies developed or disclosed at Vanderbilt must submit their proposals through the CTTC.