NeuroTech Harbor: Our nation's first equitech ecosystem for neuromedical technologies

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PROJECT SUMMARY OVERALL The two aims of NeuroTech Harbor are: (AIM 1) to accelerate early development of the most promising neuromedical solutions, and (AIM 2) to increase the number of women & URM innovators through outreach and education, and to improve equity and accessibility of neuromedical solutions. NeuroTech Harbor (NTH), led by Johns Hopkins and Howard Universities, will accelerate the development of highly promising solutions to improve neurological health for all. Solutions for all means also for the underserved, often synonymous with minority groups. Diverse innovators should sit at the table on day one, but very few minority entrepreneurs exist. To address these inequities, we will build NTH with an Equitech philosophy, which is the belief that diversity of teams, leadership, and perspectives is a force multiplier to fuel innovation, producing solutions accessible to all communities. Hopkins & Howard are uniquely positioned to realize this vision. Hopkins brings a foundation of researchers, prestigious research centers, and programs and has a translation track record ($3B invested in start-ups in the last 7 years). Howard complements this with a large pipeline of aspiring under-represented minority (URM) innovators both within and outside the Howard community. Howard has nurtured this community with early-stage mentorship, a successful incubator program, and recently received a $17M grant to create a Center for Entrepreneurship aimed at building resources and support for Black business owners across the country. NTH will solicit proposals from innovators nationwide addressing pressing problems. Although the areas supported will be broad, covering all participating NIH Institutes and Centers, the expertise of NTH will be inclusive but focusing on Neuroprosthesis (cortical, spinal, peripheral, vision, and auditory), Brain Machine Interface, Neuro Sensors and Devices, Neuro Informatics, Neuromodulation, and Mental Health. For funded projects, resources will be provided, and a dream team of specialists will offer mentorship and tools to guide successful translation to first-in-human prototype. Specialists will be drawn from a diverse Steering Committee, Advisory Board, and Consultant Network, composed of highly regarded clinicians, scientists, technologists, commercialization experts, and patient advocates. To expand diversity amongst innovators, NTH has formed strategic Outreach Partnerships with access to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions across the nation. We have created an NTH Institute, a center for innovator leadership development to educate innovators in business development, translation and project management. Importantly, our needs assessments will be guided by the principles of equity and accessibility for all communities and will include the input of underserved stakeholders. Our 5-year goals are to (i) solicit over 500 applications and launch 45 projects, where at least 15 have 1 woman or URM innovator on the team, and (ii) blaze a trail to alleviate suffering from neurological conditions for all, including the underserved...the Equitech way.