Funding Opportunities: Commercialization

The University of Toronto and local commercialization community offer multiple programs, competitions, resources, and services to help researchers and trainees at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy translate their discoveries into commercial ventures. Please contact a member of the Research Office for more information (Mike Folinas, Sam D’Alfonso, or Lia Cardarelli).

Commercialization Resources

• University of Toronto Innovations and Partnerships Office (IPO)
• IPO’s "Guide to Technology Transfer"
• IPO's "Researcher’s Guide to Industry Partnerships"
• University of Toronto Libraries Entrepreneurship Support
• PRiME Entrepreneur Resources
• University of Toronto Startup Guidebook

Commercialization Opportunities

Company and Competitor Research Webinar

For participants of all disciplines interested in learning more about researching companies and finding competitor information. Includes an overview of subscription databases and publicly available resources for company research.

You’ll learn how to:

• Evaluate different types of company information and understand the differences between public and private companies
• Find both direct and indirect competitor information
• Practice finding company documents and reports

Location: Online via Zoom (participants will receive a link prior to session start)
Instructor: Annalisa Gatti, Engineering Librarian, annalisa.gatti@utoronto.ca; Carey Toane, Entrepreneurship Librarian, carey.toane@utoronto.ca

This workshop is part of an Entrepreneurship Research Skills Co-Curricular Record (CCR) as recognized by the University of Toronto. They are open to all U of T students, faculty, and staff, but only current students are eligible to enroll in the CCR. A valid UTORid is required to access library databases.

Thursday, February 19, 2026, 12-1PM

Register here.

CSL Research Acceleration Initiative

CSL is a leading global biotech company delivering innovative therapies to help people with life-threatening conditions live full lives. The CSL Research Acceleration Initiative supports earlystage biotechs and research organizations to fast-track the discovery of groundbreaking biotherapies. The 2026 Research Acceleration Initiative will focus on research proposals that align with a CSL Therapeutic Area:

• Transplant & Immunology
• Cardiovascular & Renal
• Hematology
• Immunoglobulins

Successful applicants can receive up to $400,000 USD in non-dilutive funding over 2 years to advance their innovative programs.

Interested researchers are invited to:

• Attend an information webinar (choose one of two sessions)

Thursday, 29 January  11:00AM EST – Click to join

Thursday,  5 February   1:00PM EST – Click to join

• Submit a non-confidential, 500-word abstract via the CSL online application portal by 24th February 2026.

For information on the webinar and/or questions regarding this engagement, please contact Kristy Reynald kristy.reynald@utoronto.ca, University of Toronto Business Development Officer. 

For additional information or enquiries, please reach out to: RAI@CSL.COM.AU

Data Resources for Entrepreneurs Webinar

Preparing a business pitch and developing a business idea requires you to have data on your target market. You need data to inform decisions on your business plan, data on your competitors, and if you want to be innovative in your industry you need data to tell you a story on performance and opportunity. Data literacy for entrepreneurs is essential. This session will help you identify your data needs, find relevant data using specialized library resources, and evaluate and synthesize data using critical thinking.  

Learning outcomes: 

• You will describe types of data in order to understand why you need data to inform your business idea.  
• You will identify your information need and find the data that best addresses your startup research question. 
• You will use logical judgment and critical thinking to synthesize and analyze data from multiple sources. 

Instructor: Elizabeth O'Brien, Liaison Librarian, elizabeth.obrien@utoronto.ca
Location: Online via Zoom (participants will receive a link prior to session start)

This workshop is part of an Entrepreneurship Research Skills Co-Curricular Record as recognized by the University of Toronto. A valid UTORid is required to access library databases. Registration is required.

Tuesday, February 10, 2026, 12-1:30PM

Register here. 

Derrick Rossi Innovation Awards

The Derrick Rossi Innovation Awards provide funding of up to $300,000 over two (2) years to support proof-of-concept research projects focused on accelerating the implementation and/or commercialization of high-potential, cutting-edge research, with the promise of significant socio-economic impacts. Awards will support research and/or commercialization activities with a focus on knowledge mobilization, deployment and implementation.

Proposals will be evaluated based on innovation, addressing a critical unmet need, potential impact, feasibility, strategic partnerships and team capability. Successful projects will have strong socio-economic or commercial potential, enabling the research or technology to make a positive impact on society. 

Applicants can request up to $300,000 per project. Applicants requesting more than $100,000 will require strong evidence of a significant value inflection point, including the potential to attract partnerships, additional grants and the strong potential to attract additional investments (e.g. letters of support). 

The proposed project must be based on an existing invention or copyright disclosure filed with the Innovations & Partnerships Office (IPO) by Friday February 13, 2026.

For each project, a Notice of Intent (NOI) must be submitted to IPO by Monday, March 2, 2026. Full applications are by invitation only and will be due by Monday, March 30, 2026.

Program Materials:

• Derrick Rossi Innovation Award Guidelines

• Derrick Rossi Innovation Award Notice of Intent (NOI) Form

• Derrick Rossi Innovation Award Full Application Form

Intellectual Property Education Program

UofT’s IP Education Program introduces the different types of IP, how to protect it, and how to get the most value from it.

The online program was built by UofT Entrepreneurship (UTE) and the Innovations & Partnerships Office (IPO) with input from legal professionals and entrepreneurs.

Divided into two complimentary levels, IP Foundations and IP Strategy and Application, the program is integrated with Quercus (U of T’s online learning portal), allowing for inclusion into assignments, workshops, or classroom settings. In addition, U of T students who complete a module can have it recognized on their Co-curricular Record (CCR). 

Program overview:

Level 1: IP Foundations

• Intro to patents, trademarks, copyright, industrial design, and trade secrets.
• Requires no prior knowledge and can be completed in ~2 hours.
• Endorsed by the Province of Ontario’s IP Action Plan.

Level 2: IP Strategy and Application

• IP strategy and commercialization, including best practices for inventors and entrepreneurs.

• Learners must complete Level 1 before advancing to Level 2.

Intellectual Property: Protect, License and Fund with IPO

The Innovations & Partnerships Office (IPO) is your first stop for research commercialization at U of T. IPO helps turn innovations into patents, licenses, and startups, building successful relationships between researchers, industry, and investors.

What you need to know:

1. It starts with a disclosure: If a new technology, method, or product was created using U of T facilities or funding administered by U of T, a Confidential Invention Disclosure is your first step toward commercializing your research.
2. Ownership: U of T has a modern, flexible invention policy that is ‘Inventor’s Choice’ – in absence of pre-existing IP rights, inventors may choose to take personal ownership, or have U of T lead commercialization.
3. Intellectual property (IP) and patents: While there are many types of IP, patents may be affected by presenting and publishing. It is best to involve IPO early to help review, file, and protect your invention.
4. Funding: IPO can help maximize budgets by licensing technologies and leveraging internal, public, and private funding opportunities for research and startups.
5. Network: Access U of T’s growing international network of industry, mentors, and VCs to support technology validation, product development, and go-to-market.

In 2021, U of T inventors made over 180 invention disclosures, with IPO managing 74 priority patent applications, more than 39 licensing and option agreements, and 290 ongoing commercialization projects. In the last 5 years, companies based on U of T Research have secured more than $1.5 billion in investment and capital.

Learn more and get started @ uoft.me/inventors

Lab2Market Discover

Are you interested in exploring the market viability of your research? As a researcher in emerging technologies, you may be considering an alternative career path beyond academia. With Lab2Market Discover, you’ll learn a new way of thinking and determine if you have a passion for business.

Lab2Market Discover’s online exploratory program helps you explore entrepreneurship and the potential of transforming your academic research into a world-changing tech-focused business.

Lab2Market Discover is offered free of cost and is open to current students and recent graduates in Canada pursuing research (Masters, Ph.D., and Postdoc). The program is tailored for individuals interested in understanding the necessary steps to commercialize research and determining whether entrepreneurship is a path they can or should pursue. Designed specifically for researchers completing their studies full-time, the program includes online readings, practical assignments, and interactive webinars, with a maximum time commitment of three hours per week.

Lab2Market Discover is run nationally and runs various cohorts throughout the year, check out the website to find the program for you.

Launchpad: Campus resources for UofT Startups

This is an orientation to campus resources for those with startups or interested in startups, including accelerators, courses and programs, library resources, commercialization, funding opportunities, and community resources.

You will leave with:

• knowledge of how the university supports student and faculty startups through space, training, and mentorship
• an understanding of campus accelerators, pitch competitions, and funding opportunities
• additional library workshops available to further support and boost your entrepreneurship journey
• a guide of where to go to find more information at U of T, around Toronto, and the broader startup ecosystem

 

Date and Time: Jan 27, 2026, 12-1 p.m.

Location: Online via Zoom (participants will receive a link prior to session start)

Instructor: Carey Toane, Entrepreneurship Librarian, carey.toane@utoronto.ca

Register now: https://libcal.library.utoronto.ca/event/3988549

 

OCI Life Sciences Innovation Fund

Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) Life Sciences Innovation Fund is an early-stage co-investment fund that supports companies in Life Sciences and Healthcare Technologies sectors related to human health.  The fund is aimed at addressing the unique challenges faced by life sciences entrepreneurs moving innovative and capital-intensive investments from a conceptual stage through to commercialization. Through the fund, OCI co-invests with angel and other investors to help de-risk the opportunity, assisting start-ups in becoming investor and customer ready and allowing them to attract follow-on investment.

ABOUT THE FUND

Eligible companies will receive up to $500,000 in early stage risk capital to scale their made-in-Ontario health solution both at home and in global markets. This will further grow the sector and strengthen its competitiveness in key areas such as cancer treatment, regenerative medicine, neuroscience and medical technologies.

BEST SUITED FOR LIFE SCIENCES AND HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGIES COMPANIES RELATED TO HUMAN HEALTH THAT:

• Are Ontario or Canadian incorporated for-profit companies headquartered in Ontario
• Currently raising a pre-seed or seed investments (total round sizes ranging from $1 million to $5 million)
• Have raised less than $3 million in third-party capital

Learn more. 

Pitching Perfect Workshop

Join us for the Pitching Perfect Workshop with Frank Erschen! 
Frank is the originator of The Artful Sciences of Pitching® (ASOP™), a method for developing pitches for financing (or strategic partnerships or selling) that bridges art with science. He has worked with thousands of founders in 40 countries develop or refine their storyline. He has been called a pitch engineer, reflecting his acuity for connecting the dots, and a startup whisperer, for helping to resolve deeper issues he uncovers when dots do not connect. Frank does not have a website, doesn’t blog, and doesn’t originate social media about his work. All of his engagements are by referral and repeat. Frank has supported U of T / Rotman several times.

Why Attend?
Learn how to structure your pitch effectively
Gain confidence in delivering your ideas
Network with like-minded individuals

Wednesday, January 28, 2026
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

OISE 2214

Register here. 

Seminar Secure Innovation: What UofT Founders Need to Know to Protect Their Start-ups

January 29, 2026 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

In today’s ever-changing geopolitical landscape, understanding evolving government policies and frameworks is crucial for maintaining a competitive and secure innovation ecosystem and submitting successful grant applications. Join the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation (OVPRI)’s Research Security Team (RST) for a webinar designed for founders, entrepreneurs and academic researchers seeking:  

• Up-to-date information on the different research security policies and legislation that are relevant to start-ups and emerging companies 
• Insight into threats and risks facing early-stage enterprises, including tactics and techniques used by malign actors to improperly acquire research and intellectual property 
• A demonstration of tools and resources that can be used to better understand research security processes and improve the integrity of your enterprise   Details for where and how the RST can assist  

The session will also feature the CEO of a U of T start-up who will share insights from a founder’s perspective on navigating research security in practice and answer audience questions. A Q&A period will follow.   

Intended Audience:  

This webinar is tailored for members of the University of Toronto entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem who want to better understand frameworks and policies related to research security and how to navigate risks specific to start-ups and technology commercialization.

 Presenters: 

• Paul Jarrett, Director Research Security, VPRI 
• Colin Baulke, Research Security Advisor, VPRI
• Michael Laurentius, Manager, Research Information Security Program
• Jon French, Director, University of Toronto Entrepreneurship 
• Mattia Montagna, CEO, Quantum Bridge Technologies 

Learning Objectives

• Recognize common security risks and tactics used by malicious actors targeting start-ups and understand how these can compromise research integrity and intellectual property 
• Identify relevant federal and institutional research security frameworks that apply to start-ups and university-industry partnerships, including guidance on compliance and risk mitigation 
• Apply available tools and resources to assess potential risks, strengthen security practices, and engage effectively with the Research Security Team for tailored support 

Register now.

UofT Research Security Self-Assessment Tool

The Division of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation is pleased to announce the launch of the Research Security Self-Assessment tool. 

Before applying for federal or provincial research funding, researchers are strongly encouraged to use this tool to help them identify research security policies that may be applicable to their project.  

Researchers applying for research funding or requesting non-funded agreements may access this tool directly from the Research Security web page or via a new page in My Research Applications & Agreements (MRA). The new page in MRA provides helpful resources and does not collect new information for your application/agreement. 

If you have questions, U of T’s Research Security Team is here to help you navigate research security requirements for funding applications and non-funded agreements. For assistance, please contact them early in your application process at researchsecurity@utoronto.ca.