Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hubs (REACH)
The REACH program supports academic innovators to convert promising scientific discoveries into medical products while training a diverse biomedical workforce that is globally competitive in technology development and entrepreneurship.
Early consideration of the healthcare impact and commercial viability of scientific discoveries, combined with milestone-driven product development plans, results in de-risked projects primed for startup company formation or licensing.
This trans-NIH program implements the Phase 0 Proof of Concept Partnership pilot program authorized in the 2011 SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act (P.L. 112-81) and continued in the 2026 Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act (P.L. 119-83). In 2023, NIH committed $1 million per year for four years to five new REACH hubs (see the REACH Notice of Funding Opportunity). Together, they will support academic innovators at over 75 institutions in 12 states.
How the Program Works | Current Hubs | Prior Hubs | Publications
How the Programs Work
Education and Training
Innovators have access to education and training on topics such as market research, business strategy, regulatory and intellectual property planning, and fundraising through boot camps and hands-on programs.
Funding and Project Management
Selected technology development projects receive funding tied to specific technical and business milestones. These product definition studies are supervised by industry-experienced project managers.
Expert Feedback
Innovators receive personalized feedback on their product development, intellectual property, regulatory, reimbursement, and fundraising strategies from local industry experts and federal partners (NIH, FDA, CMS, USPTO).
Leveraging the Local Ecosystem
Hubs leverage state government resources, local academic institutions, and industry partners to supplement funding and support from NIH.
Current Hubs
CBC HITES | GCC REACH | Mid-South REACH | Rocky Mountain REACH | UM-BILD
CBC HITES
Institutes:
- Northwestern University
- University of Illinois at Chicago
- University of Chicago
- Loyola University Chicago
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- Rush University
- Rosalind Franklin University
- Discovery Partners Institute
- Northern Illinois University
GCC-REACH
Institutes:
- Texas A&M University Health Science Center
- University of Texas Medical Branch
- Texas Southern University
- Baylor College of Medicine
- Houston Methodist Research Institute
- MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Rice University
- University of Houston
- University of Texas Health Science Center
Mid-South REACH
Institutes:
- Vanderbilt University
- University of Louisville
- Jackson State University
- George Mason University
- American Baptist College
- Belmont University
- Christian Brothers University
- East TN State University
- Fisk University
- Meharry Medical College
- Middle Tennessee State University
- Union University
- Tennessee Board of Regents – Community Colleges
- Tennessee State University
- Tennessee Technological University
- University of Memphis
- University of Tennessee Campuses
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Mississippi State University
- University of Mississippi
- University of Southern Mississippi
- Eastern Kentucky University
- Kentucky Community & Technical College System
- Kentucky State University
- Morehead State University
- Murray State University
- Northern Kentucky University
- University of Kentucky
- Western Kentucky University
- Christopher Newport University
- James Madison University
- Longwood University
- Norfolk State University
- Old Dominion University
- Radford University
- University of Mary Washington
- University of Virginia
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Virginia Military Institute
- Virginia State University
Rocky Mountain REACH
Institutes:
- University of Montana
- University of Washington
- University of Wyoming
- University of Alaska Anchorage
- Montana State University
- Montana Technological University
- Salish Kootenai College
- Flathead Valley Community College
- Boise State University
- Idaho State University
- University of Idaho
UM-BILD
Institutes:
- University of Maryland Baltimore
- University of Maryland School of Medicine
- University of Maryland Baltimore County
- Morgan State University
- University of Maryland College Park
- Maryland Innovation Initiative
- Blackbird Laboratories
Publications
- Butler et al. (2025). Bridging the gap from academic research to commercialization: Lessons learned from WE-REACH. Technology and Innovation, 24(4), 265–276.
- Bailey et al. (2025). Paths towards commercialization: Evidence from NIH proof of concept centers. Journal of Technology Transfer, 50(6), 2509–2531.
- Anderson et al. (2021). Insights from the evaluations of the NIH Centers for Accelerated Innovation and REACH programs. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 6(1), e7.
- Reizes et al. (2021). New programs for translating research to patient care: Lessons learned at the NIH Center for Accelerated Innovations at Cleveland Clinic. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 5(1), e176.
- Antman et al. (2021). The Boston Biomedical Innovation Center experience: Process, progress, and outcomes. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 5(1), e137.
- Antman et al. (2017). NIH Centers for Accelerated Innovations Program: Principles, practices, successes and challenges. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 16(10), 663–664.
- Bates et al. (2017). NIH program strives to turn more lab discoveries into real-world treatments.STAT.
- Collins et al. (2016). Healthcare commercialization programs: Improving the efficiency of translating healthcare innovations from academia into practice. IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Health and Medicine, 4, 1–7.
