Proposal guidelines 

• Proposals must be related to a Purdue technology for which Purdue Innovates has received a formal disclosure. Any money provided by Purdue Innovates shall be recovered from future licensing revenues, as outlined in Purdue University’s Intellectual Property Policy.
• An applicant can submit only one proposal during each cycle.
• Proposals must target specific and significant milestones that are achievable within 6 months.
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their proposal with the BDM responsible for their technology.

When to apply 

Trask Innovation Fund proposal submissions are due on the 3rd Friday in February and the 4th Friday in September each year. 

A detailed outline of the Trask proposal timeline can be found here. 

How to apply 

Application for Trask Innovation Fund must use the Trask Proposal Template and be submitted via email to Apply4Trask@prf.org. 

If you have questions about the application process, please email them to trask@prf.org or reach out directly to your business development manager.  

For a full view of Trask fund evaluation process, rubric, and other useful information, please download the Trask Proposal Template. 

Pre-award process

One month prior to review
Applicants are strongly encouraged to notify their Business Development Manager of intent to apply.

3^rd Friday of February / 4^th Friday of September
Proposals must be submitted to apply4Trask@prf.org

45 days after proposal submission
Based on the internal review, Purdue Innovates will shortlist applicants that are invited to the Trask Innovation Fund Advisory Council meeting.

Next steps for shortlisted candidates

If a proposal is selected, the applicant will be asked to present to the Trask Innovation Fund Advisory Council. Each presentation will be 10 minutes long with 5-10 minutes for questions. Presentations made to the Trask Innovation Fund Advisory will be evaluated on the rubric shared in the Trask Proposal Template.

Applicants are strongly advised to work with the BDM from the Office of Technology Commercialization who is managing their disclosure as they prepare for the presentation.

Based on the recommendation of Trask Innovation Fund Advisory Council, Purdue Innovates will make its funding decision.

• Trask funds can be used for supplies and work performed on campus but cannot support faculty salary, travel expenses, consulting expenses, nor external expenses with entities outside of Purdue.
• Indirect costs are not applied to the Trask fund requests.
• Trask is directed towards commercialization activities and does not support basic scientific discoveries. 
• For applications made under the commercialization track, execution of an option agreement by the startup is required before funds can be released by Purdue Innovates. Furthermore, Trask funds must be used exclusively in a Purdue laboratory to meet the proposed project milestones and cannot be transferred to an optionee.
• Three months after award notification, recipients must submit a status update to Purdue Innovates. Insufficient progress on a project can result in early termination of the award and require a return of the Fund monies.
•  Six months after award notification, final report(s) must be submitted to Purdue Innovates within 30 days of the end of the award period, or an approved extended term. At the end of the project term, all remaining funds will be refunded to the Trask Innovation Fund.
  • No extensions of time will be granted unless extraordinary circumstances can be demonstrated. This must be described in detail in a written request to Purdue Innovates no later than 30 days prior to the end of the project term.
• Award recipients may re-apply to a maximum of three (3) times, for support of the same technology (e.g., as a second phase, for example), not to exceed an aggregate cap of $100,000 per technology.
  • To be eligible for any subsequent request for applications, the final progress report of the previous award(s) on the same technology must have been submitted on time to Purdue Innovates.
  • Investigators interested in follow-on funding should enquire at trask@prf.org.
• Any money provided by Trask shall be recovered from future licensing revenues, as outlined in Purdue University’s Intellectual Property Policy.

How can I apply for Trask?

The application for Trask must be submitted to apply4Trask@prf.org

Can I apply for Trask prior to disclosing my idea to Incubator?

No. You must disclose your invention to Purdue Innovates before submitting the Trask application. Purdue Innovates before submitting the Trask application.

My project is still an idea and in early stage. Is this eligible for funding?

Yes, provided you have submitted an invention disclosure to Incubator. The proposals are reviewed based on the selection criteria described in the Trask Proposal Template.

The technology that I want to submit the Trask proposal on is already licensed by another entity, can I still apply?

No. The technology must not be encumbered under any license to be eligible for Trask.

Can I apply for Trask if a company has signed an option or expressed an interest in signing an option agreement with Incubator for the technology that I want to apply for Trask with?

You may apply for Trask under the Commercialization Partner Sparks track but you cannot apply under the Innovation Sparks track.

Can the startup signing the option with Incubator get some of the Trask funding to do market research on the technology?

No. Trask funds must be used exclusively in a Purdue laboratory to meet the proposed project milestones and cannot be transferred to an optionee.

Can I apply for Trask more than once with the same idea?

You can apply for Trask more than once and with the same idea. Award recipients may re-apply in subsequent rounds, up to a maximum of three (3) times, for support of the same technology (e.g., as a second phase, for example), not to exceed an aggregate cap of $100,000 per technology disclosed to Incubator. Please email apply4Trask@prf.org if you are interested in follow-on funding.

Can I apply for Trask more than once in same year?

Yes, there are no restrictions on applying for Trask more than once a year but an applicant can submit only one proposal during each cycle. However, if you are an award recipient and applying for it again in a consecutive round with the same technology, you are required to submit the final report of the previous Trask award to Purdue Innovates to be considered for the next round of funding.

What is the difference between the two tracks (Commercialization Partner Sparks vs. Innovation Sparks)?

Both application tracks support short-term projects that will enhance the commercial value of Purdue University intellectual property assets. You can apply under Commercialization Partner Sparks ONLY if (a) OTC has either signed an option agreement with a potential licensee or (b) the applicant is engaged with OTC to establish a startup and will sign an option for technology before receiving Trask funding. To determine the right application track for your application, please contact the Business Development Manager for the technology.

Is the funding different depending on which track of Trask I apply under?

The maximum amount of funding you can apply for is the same under the two different tracks. However, if you apply under Commercialization Partner Sparks, the execution of an option agreement by a company is required before funds can be released by Purdue Innovates.

What is the level of funding I can apply for?

Trask will fund up to $50,000 for the duration of 6 months. Trask Innovation Fund supports short-term projects that will enhance the commercial value of Purdue University intellectual property assets. Unlike other federally funded research programs, Trask does not support basic scientific discoveries. Indirects are not applied to the Trask funding.

When will the Trask awards be announced?

The semi-finalists will be notified within 45 days of application submission deadline. The finalists will be notified about the outcome of their proposal within 60 days after they present their proposal to the Trask Advisory Council. See here for full timeline.

What items will not be funded via Trask?

Faculty salary, travel expenses, consulting expenses and external expenses with entities outside of Purdue.