We are disappointed to share that our team was not invited to the next phase of the merit review process for this round of competition under the NSF Engines program. While this is not the news we hoped for, we remain committed to building on the strong foundation we’ve established together.
We remain inspired by the impressive group of partners reflective of virtually all parts of our community. Building from the strong foundation of our world-class assets and burgeoning innovation ecosystem, along with the progress made through our original NSF Engines Development Award, we have catalyzed major growth in neuroscience translation, commercialization, workforce development, community engagement, and regional investment. Our partnership network now includes over 50 organizations contributing more than $60 million in resources to this initiative. We’ve also seen significant expansion in the number of neuroscience companies in our commercialization portfolio.
We have much to remain excited about our distinct regional strengths including:
- – Unparalleled research strengths in neuroscience anchored by WashU
- – Significant increases in invention disclosures for neuroscience-related discoveries at our research institutions
- – A growing pipeline of neuroscience startups engaged by BioGenerator Ventures and the BioSTL Global team
- – Strong collaboration among partners like Cortex and Greater St. Louis Inc. on joint recruitment efforts
- – More than 25 years of coalition-building to grow St. Louis’ bioscience economy
As we have said since we embarked on this effort, we are committed to advancing neuroscience innovation through a robust, self-sustaining ecosystem. We will continue to collaborate with our growing set of partners and leveraging neuroscience innovation to address some of the most pressing human afflictions as well as the understanding of the brain for human wellbeing, prosperity, and national and economic security.
We look forward to our continued work together to grow the future of neuroscience in St. Louis.
