NIH|NCI SBIR|STTR Webinar & Founders Meet

Wednesday, July 29, 2026 (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM) (EDT)

Description

A specialized hybrid session featuring a deep-dive webinar focused on National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI) SBIR/STTR non-dilutive funding opportunities. The event will bring together life science innovators and conclude with an interactive peer networking "Founders Meet" to share best practices on federal proposal development.


Event Title: Funding Cancer Innovation: An Inside Look at NCI Support for Small Businesses & Commercialization

Date & Time: Wednesday, July 29th | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT

Location: First Flight Venture Center

Event Flow: * 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Interactive Seminar Session

10:45 AM – 12:00 PM: 1:1 Meetings with Program Directors

Hosts & Sponsors: 

FAST Program 

America's Seed Fund / SBIR·STTR


Speaker Bios & Details:

Monique Pond, Ph.D. Program Director & Team Leader, NCI SBIR Development Center Monique Pond, Ph.D., manages a portfolio of grants and contracts to small businesses developing novel cancer therapeutics, digital health technologies, and therapeutic devices. Dr. Pond leads the Connecting Awardees with Regulatory Experts (CARE) program and other collaborative initiatives with the U.S. FDA to assist small businesses in navigating regulatory pathways. Prior to NCI, she was a regulatory medical writer and consultant at a small startup, and she holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Pennsylvania State University.


Melissa Li, Ph.D. Program Director, NCI SBIR Development Center Dr. Melissa Li manages a portfolio of small businesses developing innovative cancer therapeutics, diagnostics, and research tools, with a strong focus on programs promoting access to funding. She currently leads the NCI’s efforts on the NCI SBIR/STTR Training and Entrepreneurship Program (STEP). Prior to joining the NCI, she was a proposal writer at a large CRO and a scientific consultant raising over $15 million in federal funding. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the NIH focusing on molecular mechanisms in lung cancer.
First Flight Venture Center
2 Davis Dr
Durham, NC 27709 United States
Event Contact
Ashley Davis
(919) 888-4735
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Wednesday, July 29, 2026 (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM) (EDT)
Registered Guests
14
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