Deadline: 22-Jul-22
The Johnson & Johnson Innovation, together with BARDA, are proud to launch the BLUE KNIGHT™ QuickFire Challenge for Next-Generation Preparedness Solutions.
Innovators from across the globe are invited to submit potentially ground-breaking ideas or technologies that aim to enhance preparedness towards future known and unknown infectious disease threats.
Award Details
- Award funding from a total pool of up to $200,000
- Access to the global Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS network through Blue Knight residency with mentorship from experts across the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies and BARDA
Benefits
- Fee assistance for certain costs associated with access to JLABS equipment and resources, which will be covered by BARDA
- Dedicated equipment for Blue Knight companies will be available at select Blue Knight locations.
- Blue Knight residents will receive dedicated mentorship from the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies and BARDA in mutual areas of interest.
- Throughout the year, BARDA and JLABS will co-sponsor programming customized to the needs of Blue Knight companies, aligned with key areas of interest in infectious disease, public health emergency preparedness, and company acceleration.
- Blue Knight companies will be invited to participate in annual symposia designed to convene the Blue Knight community with thought leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs.
Why this challenge matters to them?
- Blue Knight is a collaboration dedicated to anticipating potential health security threats, activating the global innovation community, and amplifying scientific and technological advancements with the aim to prepare for and respond to their rapidly evolving global health environment.
- Through expert programming, mentorship and residency opportunities, Blue Knight aims to stimulate a pipeline of innovative, early-stage startups that are strategically aligned to mutual areas of interest between BARDA and the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, while also supporting the advancement of end-to-end, adjunct solutions with the potential to address innovation gaps along the development pathway and the continuum of care.
- Blue Knight hopes that by fostering an ecosystem of innovation focused on improving their response capacity and capabilities in these areas, they will be better able to address 21st century health security threats.
What they’re looking for?
- They are interested in novel technologies that aim to enhance preparedness towards future known and unknown infectious disease threats. Innovators must be developing potential preparedness solutions addressing at least one of the following QuickFire Challenge focus areas:
- Targeting the host response to known and unknown future infectious disease threats, with interest in:
- Technologies that allow for the identification of potential biomarker associations leading to long-term morbidities resulting from infectious disease (e.g., exposure/epitope profiling, signaling pathways, autoantibody profiling), including mechanisms, potential targets for treatment, and patient stratification
- Host-directed therapeutics that restore homeostasis of the host response to infection (either during active infection or after infection) or to improve directionality towards homeostasis
- Technologies that leverage the potential links between pathogen exposure and autoimmunity to improve patient outcomes, including modulating the immune system after respiratory distress
- Enabling streamlined manufacturing of therapeutics and/or vaccines, with interest in:
- Platforms and technologies with the potential to increase shelf-life and/or reduce the reliance on cold chain
- Technologies that enhance vaccine manufacturing by improving efficiency, scalability, and/or sustainability
- Nucleic acid manufacturing technologies, including optimization of cell expression or cell free systems, formulation, and/or purification technologies
- Leveraging the host microbiome, with interest in:
- Microbiome-based (including gut, lung, or skin) therapeutics or preventatives that rely on immunomodulation (e.g., elicit innate immune system, imprinting the immune system to train innate immunity, downregulation of inflammatory responses), including those that address multi-organ issues or train the microbiome of pediatric populations to be more resilient to the severity of infectious diseases
- Targeting the host response to known and unknown future infectious disease threats, with interest in:
Criteria
Potential solutions will be evaluated by a panel of reviewers and judged on their ability to meet the following criteria:
- Compelling and credible science and/or technology that has the potential to change the trajectory of health
- Addressing an area of significant unmet need
- Strategic alignment with the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies’ and BARDA areas of focus
- Easy-to administer for the intended indications, including orally, nasally, or topically, if applicable
- Technologies that have the potential as multi-use solutions (indications as medical countermeasures for specific threat areas and for commercial use) or are threat-agnostic
- Particular interest in technologies aiming to support the needs of diverse populations, including at-risk, immunocompromised, geriatric, and pediatric populations
- Applications submitted for any Challenge may be transmitted to/from the United States and will be reviewed by representatives of JJI, JJI’s parent company, affiliates or partner on a given Challenge.
For more information, visit https://jlabs.jnjinnovation.com/quickfire-challenges/blue-knight-tm-quickfire-challenge-next-generation-preparedness-solutions#paragraph-17211