January 14, 2022 - To continue to leverage our platform to shine a light on health inequity within pediatrics medtech, The West Coast Consortium for Technology & Innovation in Pediatrics (CTIP) is announcing our 2022 Annual Health Equity FlexGrants, a limited grant opportunity. Selected pediatric medical device innovators will be awarded grants of up to $15,000 to support activities that apply or adapt their existing medical device to help address health inequities in children. Medical devices with adult indications that are expanding or wish to expand their clinical indication to pediatrics are welcome to apply. The CDC defines Health Equity as a person’s “opportunity to attain his or her full health potential, and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances."
The proposed solution can focus on any factor that impacts health equity, including but not limited to:
There are several pediatric MedTech companies within the CTIP portfolio that address these factors. Leveraging CTIP’s funding, ecosystem and clinical expertise can enable these devices to progress from concept to commercialization. The real impact of health inequities on patients are experienced daily. Technology has an important role to play in addressing these barriers and improving the health outcomes of underserved communities. There are many ways that medical device innovators can begin to tackle health inequities, whether it's through their disease focus, their business model, or the care they enable; innovators are encouraged to think broadly about how their technology can make an impact. CTIP invests capital and resources to foster diversity on both sides: in the solutions -- the healthcare technologies themselves -- and in the founding teams -- the talent.
Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:
All companies must meet CTIP's minimum criteria to receive support:
1. Medical device that has a pediatric application as defined by the FDA, 0 to 21 years of age
2. Medical device regulated by the FDA
3. Feasible for CTIP to support
4. US-based company
CTIP is accepting 2022 Health Equity FlexGrant submissions until 11:59 pm PST on Monday, February 14th, 2022. Visit FlexGrant on www.westcoastctip.org to apply.