The Baylis Health Care Grant Program has been made possible thanks to the generosity of the Gloria Baylis Foundation. These grants support the commercialization of early-stage health care related inventions from McGill University with a lead applicant, or co-applicant or collaborator who is a McGill University Faculty of Engineering tenure-track professor. Example health care related inventions include medical devices, digital health, and therapeutics. This program enables the interdisciplinary research team to further validate their technology with real-world needs. Personalized business mentorship by our Ronald Chwang Entrepreneurs-in-Residence is included. Eligible expenses towards meeting the proposed technical milestones include salaries and benefits of personnel, student stipends, materials and supplies, testing fees, and small equipment, for activities such as in-vivo testing, prototype development and testing, and pre-clinical testing.
Program Objectives
- Validate early stage health care related technologies
- Advance the invention's Technology Readiness Level from TRL 3 (minimum) to higher
- Accelerate the technology’s commercialization and development plan - achieve product-market fit faster
- Further develop the research to strengthen eligibility for additional funding
- Research team works closely with the assigned business mentor, gaining from their experience, knowledge, and industry connections
For up to 6 months projects, up to $15K is available per eligible project.
For up to 12 months projects, up to $25K is available per eligible project.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Application Form
Eligibility/Requirements
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Application: You can send your draft application for review prior to final submission to the Engine's associate director, katya.marc [at] mcgill.ca (subject: WRSAs%20Application%20Review) or to one of the Ronald Chwang Entrepreneurs-in-Residence. Your Technology Transfer Manager (TTM) must co-write your proposal so please contact them well in advance of the submission deadline.
An application to be considered complete, it must include:
- Submitted online application form, including the confirmation of the proposal review and contribution by the TTM, and lead applicant's assessment on the Innovation Readiness Level indicators;
- Completed proposal;
- Completed budget form
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Lead Applicant: Any McGill University tenure-track professors as part of a team. Cannot hold another Engine gap funding grant (TechAccelR, WRSA, Innovation Fellowship) for the same invention at the same time as this project grant. Team includes a lead applicant or co-applicant or collaborator who is a McGill University Faculty of Engineering tenure-track professor. Team collaborators can be students and/or professors.
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Invention: A report of Invention (ROI) that is health care related or can be applied to health care, must have been filed by the lead applicant with the Innovation and Partnerships Office at McGill (I+P). Your TTM’s contribution towards the technology assessment and commercialization plan will need to be included in this grant application. If a invention has already received funding from the William and Rhea Seath Awards in Engineering Innovation (WRSA) or the Chwang Seto Innovation Fellowships programs, then it is not eligible for funding under the Baylis Health Care Grant program.
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Project Timeline: Projects can last up to 12 months maximum.
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Project Expenses: Applicants must use the funds to advance the technology in accordance with their project technical milestones and commercialization plan. The McGill Engine team can make recommendations for changes to the budget and uses of funds that are required for the acceptance and funding of the project. Once the grant is awarded, if your milestones and project expenses change significantly from what was in your project proposal (e.g. greater than 10% on any allowed budget item), you must discuss with your mentor and provide the revised milestone(s) and budget to Engine's Associate Director for approval.
Eligible Expenses: Product and process development costs towards achieving technical milestones, e.g., personnel (stipends, salaries & benefits), materials and supplies, testing fees, small equipment.
Evaluation Criteria
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Applications will be judged and ranked according to the following criteria: problem/unmet clinical need and commercial applications, proposed solution, prospective competitive advantages, technical feasibility, commercialization potential.
Each section of the application is scored as follows:
5 – Excellent The applicant has included all of the required information and has made a very convincing argument/answer to question.
4 – Above Average The applicant has included all of the required information and has made a reasonable argument/answer to question.
3 – Good The applicant has included most of the required information and has made a fair argument/answer to question.
2 – Fair The applicant has provided most of the required information but has not made a fair argument/answer to question.
1 – Poor The applicant has not provided enough of the required information to make a fair argument/answer to question.
How to Apply
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Applicants will need to attach the following documents in the application form.
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If you have any questions and/or wish to have your application reviewed prior to final submission, please contact katya.marc [at] mcgill.ca (subject: WRSAs%20Application%20Review)
Terms of the Award
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Timeline: Teams have up to 6 or 12 months maximum (depending on the original project timeline) to complete their project milestones and deliverables. Unused funds will need to be returned.
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Award: The award will be dispersed into a new account under the PI and entitled Baylis Health Grant. For PIs not in the Faculty of Engineering, you will need to contact your unit’s finance officer to help you request a new fund. Once the grant is awarded, if your milestones and project expenses change significantly from what was in your project proposal (e.g. greater than 10% on any allowed budget item), you must discuss with your mentor and provide the revised milestone(s) and budget to Engine's Associate Director for approval.
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Reporting: Mid-term and final reports are due to the Engine's Associate Director and the team's assigned mentor showing the project’s current status, status of IP, commercialization and development plan progress/next steps, and the use of funds.
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Participation: Participate in surveys and requests for feedback in connection with the procedures and services provided by the McGill Engine, with the aim of collaborating in the continuous development of its global offer, research commercialization support, and student experience.
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Mentorship & Training: Meet with assigned business mentor on a regular basis throughout the program (minimum once per month). Attend Engine's entrepreneurial skills development workshops or other entrepreneurial training as appropriate and as appropriate and as suggested by mentor.
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Outreach Activities: Willingness to assist the McGill Engine in outreach activities pertaining to technological innovation and entrepreneurship.
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Promotion: Acknowledgement and promotion of the award and the McGill Engine in publications and communications arising from the project through your own networks and events.
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Consent: Consent to the publication of your picture, name, as well as pictures and names of collaborators and team members, the title of the project, and amount of funding.
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Giving back: The McGill Engine does not take equity in McGill spinoff companies. There is an expectation, but no requirement, that participating researchers will make a non-binding charitable pledge to McGill Engine aimed at sustaining the activities of the McGill Engine Centre and helping the next generation of technological innovators and entrepreneurs that the Centre supports. Funding is not conditional on a researcher signing a pledge.
