Overview

The Atlanta Center for Microsystems Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies (ACME POCT) seeks to support the development, adaptation, or validation of microsystems-based point-of-care medical technologies. These technologies may be comprised of optical, electronic, microelectromechanical (MEMS) or other types of sensors, biosensors, microfluidic components, or even smartphone-based systems. The center is especially interested in platform microsystems technologies that can be applied to a wide range of diseases or conditions. Meritorious projects selected will receive 12 months of in-kind support and expertise from ACME POCT, valued at between $50,000 and $250,000. This support will be project dependent, and could include a wide variety of engineering, regulatory, clinical, analytical, human factors/usability or other specific expertise provided through partnership and consultation with the ACME POCT. In rare exceptions, small direct monetary awards of up to $50,000 could be considered based on the justification of a specific project need. 

Background

The Atlanta Center for Microsystems-Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies (ACME POCT) is a nationally renowned academic partnership between Emory University, Georgia Tech, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta as part of the National Institutes of Health Point-of-Care Technology Research Network (POCTRN). The Center’s mission is to revolutionize the landscape of cutting-edge microsystems-based point-of-care diagnostic technologies. Over the past 7 years, ACME POCT has successfully supported numerous emerging technology ventures in navigating the journey from technology development through clinical validation to FDA clearance and successful commercialization and clinical adoption. As the Test Validation Center of the NIH’s RADx® initiative as well as with multiple investigator-led projects, the ACME POCT has developed specific services and capabilities to assist point-of-care diagnostic projects in their translation to clinical impact. Our annual needs assessment demonstrated that at home diagnostics and monitoring across a wide range of health conditions continue to be major opportunities for novel diagnostics and application. 

The purpose of this call for proposals is to provide expertise and support to project teams currently developing microsystems-based point-of-care technologies with support from one or more of ACME POCT’s services offered. The ultimate goal is to facilitate the translation of point-of-care diagnostic projects to the highest clinical impact. The priority for the 2025 call for applications is to support clinically relevant proposals for technologies that have already been through some level of investment in research, development, evaluation, or clinical validation, but have been unable to progress due to a significant and definable barrier that can be resolved through additional engineering, regulatory, clinical, human factors/usability or other type of specific expertise the project team lacks. As such, applicants should be able to define the technology’s current technology readiness level (TRL), describe the situation and barrier encountered that impeded progress, and explain how additional targeted expertise from the ACME POCT or other consultants will enable the technology to move forward in the development pathway.  

Who Should Apply

Microsystems-based point-of-care projects from any and all disease or condition focus areas are invited to apply. ACME POCT is particularly interested in the below, though these are not requirements:  

• technologies that have future plans for the at-home market 
• Platform microsystem technologies that can be utilized for a variety of diseases or conditions 
• Technologies that are focused on rural settings 

These criteria will be prioritized for project selection: 

1. Involve microsensors, microfluidics, or lab-on-a-chip technology for point-of-care use.    
2. Has achieved a minimum maturity level of “proof of concept” or ideally above, based upon the Healthtech Innovation Cycle. 
3. Has already received some prior funding or investment of any amount and from any source in the past 5 years.  
4. Is currently at a point in which progress is paused due to a definable issue and require additional expertise in engineering, regulatory, human factors/usability, clinical or analytical validation support.  
5. Has at minimum a lab-scale prototype for testing/evaluation within the next 12 months. 
6. Is highly innovative, defined as involving novel technology or novel application of existing technology to solve for a currently unaddressed or under-addressed clinical problem. 
7. Involves technologies designed to address issues such as access to care, rural and/or low resource settings. 

ACME POCT will support the advancement of technologies through consulting and services provided by expert resources within our center. The general categories of services and expertise offered are 1) Technology; 2) Regulatory; 3) Clinical; 4) Market/business. A full list of services can be found on our website.

Support Term

12 months.

Requirements

• Commit to actively partner with ACME POCT experts in using their development framework with targeted technology, clinical, regulatory, and market/business services. 
• Submit a monthly progress report to ACME POCT 
• Submit quarterly progress report data to Cimit’s Guidance and Impact Tracking System (GAITS) 

Submissions

The solicitation and access to the application are posted here.

Proposal forms and associated PDF files may be accessed at the page link noted above. 

Only electronic submissions through the CoLab system will be accepted. Submissions must be time-stamped by the submission system prior to or at the cut-off date and time listed in the top right of this page. Please note that all deadlines are in Eastern Standard Time (EST) or Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The Center will not consider proposals which are in the process of submission but not yet submitted prior to the cut-off and not stamped as received in time. Information that is relevant to your organization’s intellectual property should be marked “Business Sensitive” or “Proprietary.” Classified information or markings such as the word “Sensitive” alone must not be used in any part of the submission.

Review Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated on the following: 

1. Significance: Does the project address an important clinical need and does it have the potential for a large clinical impact? Special consideration will be given for projects that contemplate various point-of-care settings, such as rural, home, etc. 
2. Alignment with ACME POCT technology priorities: Is the project designed to accelerate the refinement and clinical testing of microsystems-based point-of-care technologies as defined here? 
3. Scientific Basis: Is there a sound scientific basis (including preliminary data) that supports the technology and the proposed research? 
4. Alignment with ACME POCT services: Has the project team clearly identified the specific services required by ACME and associated milestones? It is important that the required services align with ACME capabilities and that the milestones are specific enough to judge whether they can be accomplished in the project period.  
5. Maturity Level: Has the project achieved a minimum maturity level of “proof of concept” or ideally above, based upon the Healthtech Innovation Cycle? 
6. Feasibility and Environment: Does the study team and/or company have the necessary personal, environment, and facilities that are conducive to success? 
7. Innovation: Does the proposed technology have the potential to transform patient outcomes or how patient care is delivered? (i.e., a new point-of-care technology that enables diagnosis/treatment in the home of a patient who would otherwise have had to go to the clinic or hospital for the diagnosis/treatment?) 
8. Consumer Costs and Commercialization Strategy: What is the commercialization strategy? Has the technology achieved a minimum maturity level of “proof of concept” based upon the Healthtech Innovation Cycle. Does the strategy have the potential to reduce healthcare costs for patients and/or payors?