2023 Moore Inventor Fellowships

H. Rastgoftar
J. Su

UArizona may submit two nominations. The November 14, 2022, nominations are an administrative step and will be submitted by RDS. Full Application materials are due to the sponsor from the nominees by December 13, 2022. Contact RDS with questions

Required UA pre-proposal elements

Uploaded as a PDF:

1. Statement of Invention
   Two-page maximum. See the full guidelines for required information to include.
2. PI CV or BioSketch
   Two-page maximum current CV or BioSketch
3. Letter from Department Head acknowledging $50,000 direct support requirement. An email confirmation and acknowledgment of support is sufficient. (To be uploaded as a PDF)

Program Description for 2022

Full sponsor guidelines

The foundation seeks to identify outstanding inventors and innovators who harness science and technology to enhance the conduct of scientific research, strengthen environmental conservation, or improve the experience and outcomes of patient care.

The Moore Inventor Fellows program focuses on supporting scientist-inventors at a critical stage of research to capture opportunities that otherwise might be missed. We seek to provide freedom and support to promising inventors with the most compelling ideas to pursue creative work.

Gordon Moore’s contribution to the development of microelectronics helped produce the exponential growth of the digital revolution. In the spirit of Moore’s passion for science and penchant for inventing, the foundation seeks to support people who create new tools, technologies, processes, or approaches with a high potential to accelerate progress in the foundation’s three main areas of interest: scientific research, environmental conservation and patient care.

The foundation plans to allocate nearly $34 million through 2026 to support 50 Moore Inventor Fellows. In 2020, the competition will focus on early-career staff at major research universities, additional institutions from among the top 50 National Institutes of Health-funded medical schools and universities, and selected non-academic environmental research and patient care institutions. Each eligible institution may nominate two people.

Each fellow will receive funding for three years at a level of $200,000 per year from the foundation. In addition, the foundation will provide the host institution with $25,000 each year to cover costs associated with administering the grant award, resulting in a total three-year award amount of $675,000. Each host institution will be required to contribute $50,000 in annual direct support of the inventor’s work. This can be “in kind” as released time or access to special facilities for which there is normally a charge. We expect each fellow will be personally engaged in pursuing their invention and we require each fellow to devote at least 25 percent of their own time to their invention. Fellows may use the grant funds to support their own salary to create this opportunity. They may also hire undergraduates, graduate assistants or postdoctoral scholars and purchase services, equipment, or supplies.

We aim to support inventions at an early stage that could lead to proof-of-concept work on an invention or advance an existing prototype that tackles an important problem. We seek innovations with the promise of making a long-lasting impact by addressing underlying problems in their field, but a clear path toward commercialization is not a requirement. We are not interested in supporting projects that are already at a stage where significant venture capital is available. As with all our grants, we seek to measure progress toward a defined goal during the three years of support. The foundation’s policy is that intellectual property that results from a grant must be managed and disseminated in a manner that leads to the greatest impact. Each award will include IP terms to reflect the needs of that project.

We recognize that real invention can take surprising turns, so we seek creative individuals who have big ideas, deep knowledge and the courage to take smart risks. We recognize that inventors and innovators come from a diversity of backgrounds, disciplines and experiences, and seek creative individuals across a broad array of academic programs and research departments. Examples of such programs include, but are not limited to environmental science and conservation, oceanography, biology, engineering, physics, chemistry, materials science, neuroscience, public health and gerontology.

Eligibility

• Candidates must be faculty, research scientists, postdocs or other full-time staff who can receive funding through their institutions.
• Candidates must be no more than 10 years past receiving the terminal advanced degree in their field (M.S., Ph.D. or M.D.).