Scaling the continuum platform to support commercialization and federal grant training across central idea state region institutions - continuum educational technologies (continuum) and the university…

Scaling the continuum platform to support commercialization and federal grant training across central idea state region institutions - continuum educational technologies (continuum) and the university of kansas (KU) propose to advance the startup central initiative through a phase IIB sttr. Building on the achievements of phase II, this project will expand and scale the continuum platform to strengthen sbir/sttr readiness, accelerate research translation, and support a sustainable pipeline of biomedical entrepreneurs across idea-state institutions. In phase II, continuum successfully developed and piloted its platform with multiple institutional partners, delivering a comprehensive suite of educational modules and analytics features with two cohorts of faculty and graduate student researchers and three institutional partners consisting of faculty, graduate student, and clinician researchers in various departments. Pilot participants reported increased entrepreneurial confidence, stronger grant-writing skills, and measurable progress toward commercialization, including many new sbir/sttr proposal submissions. These outcomes validated the platform's value and informed the next phase of product development where continuum can strengthen its content. Through the phase IIB period, continuum will enhance its platform with critical new features: integrated proposal draft templates, NIH-focused sbir/sttr training modules, a searchable content database, and a robust client dashboard for institutional tracking of learner engagement and proposal outcomes. We plan to develop more resources that will become key features as we learn from pilot partners, subject matter experts, and commercial partners. These enhancements, developed in collaboration with nationally recognized consultants, will directly address gaps identified during phase II and position the platform for scalable commercialization. The project will culminate in a pilot project program involving ten teams from central region R1/R2 institutions. Participants will complete the refined continuum curriculum, receive performance-based funding upon completion, and access expert consulting to prepare competitive sbir/sttr submissions. Pilot outcomes including learner engagement, proposal development, and funding success will provide rigorous evidence of platform efficacy. Impact: continuum's phase IIB efforts will deliver a commercialization-ready platform that empowers academic innovators to move research discoveries into products that improve human health while advancing economic growth.