Application Process
Texas Health Catalyst’s application process works to identify promising health and life sciences innovations and propel them toward real-world impact. Accepted applicants receive expert support and seed funding to accelerate their project’s journey toward viable solutions that enhance health outcomes.
Since Texas Health Catalyst’s inception, numerous projects have flourished after participation in the program, achieving significant milestones and garnering attention from investors and industry leaders.
Call for Proposals
Texas Health Catalyst’s call for proposals offers a unique opportunity for University of Texas at Austin innovators to shape the future of health care through cutting-edge solutions.
Dell Medical School collaborates with the Cockrell School of Engineering, College of Pharmacy, College of Natural Sciences, BioML, Discovery to Impact and Texas Robotics to offer the spring application cycle.
Spring Challenge
Texas Health Catalyst’s spring challenge seeks proposals that address the focused theme of dementia, neurodegeneration and the future of brain health.
Aligned with the recent establishment of the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, Dell Medical School and The University of Texas Medical Center are dedicated to advancing brain health through technology-driven research, rapid clinical translation and tangible real-world impact. By harnessing UT’s multidisciplinary expertise in medicine, engineering, data science and beyond, Texas Health Catalyst invites bold, collaborative solutions to revolutionize the future of dementia and neurodegenerative care for Texans and the world.
Focus Areas
Examples: AI-powered biomarker discovery, multimodal screening, wearable sensors and predictive modeling for proactive disease prevention.
Examples: Robotics, remote monitoring and mobile health solutions for improved patient access, including rural and underserved communities.
Examples: Digital twins, AI-driven decision support, clinical simulations and real-world data analytics for personalized brain health management.
Examples: Innovative devices, regenerative medicine, personalized and noninvasive treatments, digital therapeutics and new interventions targeting cognitive decline.
Examples: Cutting-edge delivery systems, novel formulations, chemistry advances, adherence tools, and user-friendly devices for safe and effective medication administration.
Examples: Smart biomaterials, neural interfaces, tissue engineering solutions, advanced imaging agents and functional materials for diagnostics and neurorestoration.
General Open Call
In addition to the spring challenge, Texas Health Catalyst always seeks bold, practical ideas that make health care better for everyone. The general open call for proposals welcomes any innovation aimed at improving how people receive, experience and benefit from care.
Texas Health Catalyst is especially interested in solutions that strengthen human connection, enhance patient and provider experiences, and address real-world challenges across the health ecosystem. Potential focus areas include:
- Behavioral health innovations
- Community health solutions
- Patient experience improvements
- Health care accessibility tools
- Prevention and wellness approaches
- Care coordination platforms
At its core, health care is about people. If your idea helps improve the way care is delivered, experienced or accessed — in any setting — submit your idea.
Eligibility, Timeline & More
Eligibility
Texas Health Catalyst seeks innovators who are ready to collaborate, incorporate expert feedback and commit to advance their projects toward real-world impact. Innovators who meet either of the following criteria are eligible to participate in the application cycle:
- University of Texas at Austin faculty and staff
- University of Texas at Austin physicians in training (residents and fellows), medical students, postdoctoral students and graduate students (with faculty supervision)
Proposal Requirements
Applicant proposals should accomplish the following:
- Address a clearly defined unmet health care need aligned with the challenge.
- Provide compelling preliminary evidence of the solution’s novelty and potential.
- Describe a commercially viable path to market.
- Present a realistic one-year plan with milestoens to mitigate the most critical risks.
- Outline the use of up to $50,000.
Timeline
- Application opens: Jan. 20
- Information session: Feb. 3 (RSVP »)
- Application closes: Feb. 20
- Finalists announced: March
- Mentor meetings: March-April
- Showcase event: April 28
- Award announcement: Mid-May
Note: Key dates are subject to change.
Benefits
Texas Health Catalyst’s goal is to help innovators understand the path to market, refine their concepts, mitigate the most pressing clinical and commercial risks, and take concrete steps toward creating impactful health care solutions. To this end, Texas Health Catalyst provides accepted applicants the following benefits:
- Faciliated mentorship by clinical and industry experts
- Trained student associates to guide project development
- Invaluable insights on market potential and concept refinement
- Funding up to $50,000 to support critical research and development
- Subcontracts for the sole purpose of funded project activities
- Equipment, supplies and software for the sole purpose of funded project activities
- Principal investigator compensation (salary and fringe benefits)
- Resident, fellow, postdoctoral researcher, medical student and/or graduate student salaries
- Research staff support
- Software
- Indirect costs
- Administrative support
- Startup creation and support
- Computers
- Hiring expenses (background checks)
- Patient care
- Tuition
Contact
Questions? Contact the program at texashealthcatalyst@austin.utexas.edu.
Assessment Rubric
The program’s evaluation process ensures that proposals align with the overall goal of identifying health innovations with the highest potential for clinical impact and potential success. The rubric covers three key domains: clinical/scientific application, development and commercialization. Each domain includes specific criteria aimed at assessing the feasibility, potential impact and commercial viability of proposed innovationss.
The clinical/scientific application domain evaluates the potential impact of the innovation on patient outcomes and the scientific rationale behind it.
Texas Health Catalyst assesses whether the innovation addresses a significant unmet medical need, its potential to improve patient outcomes and its comparative advantage over existing therapies.
The development domain delves into the technical feasibility of the innovation, its intellectual property protection, resource availability, regulatory pathway and development timeline.
Texas Health Catalyst looks for a clear and realistic development plan, identification of key milestones and strategies to mitigate potential risks.
The commercialization domain explores the market potential, reimbursement landscape, competitive landscape and marketing strategy of the innovation.
Texas Health Catalyst assesses the potential market size, timing for commercialization, pricing strategy, barriers to entry and potential exit strategies.