The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public research university whose commercialization path runs through the Heersink School of Medicine and a technology office that has put faculty startups on the Southeast Venture Showcase stage.
UAB researchers received 615 National Institutes of Health awards totaling $334.4 million in fiscal year 2024, the largest NIH total in Alabama. The Heersink School of Medicine ranked 28th among U.S. medical schools in the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research listing, with $270.8 million in NIH awards.
Commercialization runs through the Bill L. Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which includes the technology transfer office and the UAB Research Foundation. Licenses and startup agreements are made with the foundation. The institute has helped launch more than 20 UAB startups in the last five years.
- Blazer Bridge Fund
Early-stage translational funding to advance novel intellectual property and position it for licensing or protection. - Blazer App Accelerator
Training, mentorship, and validation for software and app concepts before a Bridge Fund application or a company launch. - Startup path
Founders work with the institute on the commercialization plan, name a chief executive, secure approval, then incorporate and pursue SBIR, STTR, or investment. A faculty liaison and an Executive-in-Residence program with the Heersink School of Medicine are aimed at more faculty-driven startups and disclosures.
Investors and founders can reach Kathy Nugent, senior associate vice president and chief biotechnology and innovation officer, through the Harbert Institute.
Learn more about the Harbert Institute
Learn more about the University of Alabama at Birmingham
