Tulane Innovation Institute Spring 2026 Provost's Proof of Concept Fund Awards $150,000 to Three Faculty Researchers in Diagnostics, Surgical Infection Prevention, and Quantum Materials
Promising university research often stalls at the border between discovery and application. The Tulane University Innovation Institute, in partnership with the Office of the Provost, established the Provost's Proof of Concept Fund (PPOC) in fall 2022 to cross that border — providing grants of up to $50,000 to support the technical development and market research needed to bring innovations to commercial viability, whether through licensing to existing companies or launch as spinout ventures.
The program, administered by the Robert L. Priddy Lab, reflects a growing interest across the university for translational work. Now in its seventh awards cycle, PPOC received 21 applications this spring, representing seven schools — the broadest cross-disciplinary pool in the program's history — collectively requesting more than $1 million in support. Since launch, 128 applications have sought more than $6 million in cumulative funding. Three $50,000 awards announced on April 15, 2026, bring the program's total investment to more than $1.15 million.
“To date, six spinouts have emerged from this early-stage funding program, which reflects the quality of Tulane research and a meaningful shift in how our faculty view the potential of their work. Our goal is to make the path from lab to market more accessible for all Tulane researchers,” said Kimberly Gramm, PhD, MBA, David and Marion Mussafer Chief Innovation and Entrepreneurship Officer of the Tulane Innovation Institute.
