GEM Challenge (Galvanizing Engineering in Medicine)

GEM Challenge

Supports UC San Diego engineering and medical teams by piloting laboratory breakthroughs into practical applications.

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The Galvanizing Engineering in Medicine (GEM) Challenge is a joint initiative of UC San Diego's Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute (ACTRI) and Institute of Engineering in Medicine (IEM). The program funds early-phase translational research that requires meaningful collaboration between engineering and clinical disciplines, with the goal of advancing medically relevant technologies from concept to proof of feasibility. Since its launch in 2014, GEM has funded 46 Phase I projects, generated more than 50 patent filings, and contributed to the formation of 14 start-up companies at UC San Diego.

The 2026 cycle awards up to $40,000 per team for a 12-month project period running September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027. Teams must include at least one clinically active faculty principal investigator and one engineering faculty principal investigator, both affiliated with UC San Diego; IEM membership is preferred but not required. Fellows and Project Scientists who require PI status must contact program leaders — Dr. Deborah Spector (dspector@health.ucsd.edu) or Philip Godfrey (phgodfrey@ucsd.edu) — before submitting. Allowable costs include supplies, trainee and technician salaries, core facility fees, and prototype equipment; faculty salaries, travel, and publication costs are not funded. Eligible continuing teams may apply for a Year 2 follow-on award of up to $15,000.

Applications must be submitted as a single collated PDF through the online portal at iem.slideroom.com by June 22, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. PT. The application package includes an abstract, research design, investigator qualifications, and budget justification. Proposals are evaluated on unmet medical need, scientific rationale, interdisciplinary team composition, and translational feasibility. The program is restricted to UC San Diego faculty and researchers; no external applicants or companies are eligible.