Both projects and programs are opportunities for direct member involvement to help benefit the biopharmaceutical manufacturing community, but they have some key complementary differences.
As of June 30, 2023
We achieve our mission through an RFx process that aims to advance technical and workforce development projects:
NIIMBL is seeking input and interest in the concept of NIIMBL eXperience Day, an effort to raise awareness of the biopharmaceutical industry for all education levels and backgrounds. NIIMBL eXperience Day will build on the success of the week-long eXperience program. Similar to the eXperience program, NIIMBL eXperience Day should include hands-on activities, industry partners, and interactions with professionals working in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, but will focus specifically on local/regional audiences.
The submission deadline is July 17, 2025.
Interoperable Model Module to Simulate Scale-Dependent Effects during Cell Culture Production of Glycosylated Proteins Request for Application (RFA2025.01)
Objectives of the project: Develop software modules which are interoperable with others developed for the NIIMBL Big Data Program modeling and simulation team for protein glycosylation prediction. The newly developed modules will incorporate scale-dependent effects common in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and increase accuracy of cell culture process and protein glycosylation profile predictions for all scales.
Through this RFA, NIIMBL intends to fund one project with funding up to $300,000.
The application deadline is July 29, 2025.
Interoperable Model Module to Simulate Buffer-Induced pH-Shifts During Chromatography Steps Request for Application (RFA2025.02)
Objectives of the project: Develop software modules which are interoperable with others within the CADET Chromatography Analysis and Design Toolkit (https://cadet-web.de/simulation/about_us/). The resulting modules would increase accuracy of predictions for all chromatography separations which involve ionic interactions (CEX, AEX, Protein-A, Hydroxyapatite, etc.). The modules would also be applicable to many different wash and elution contexts (buffer, salts, adsorbed species, adsorbent ligand, etc.) through use of libraries of titratable group pK values and other parameters needed for the simulation. It is most desirable that modules use open-source tools which do not require special licenses or cost for their use (Python, etc.)
Through this RFA, NIIMBL intends to fund one project with funding up to $300,000.
The application deadline is July 29, 2025.
NIIMBL is pleased to announce the pilot of a faculty sabbatical in industry program. The NIIMBL Faculty Fellows program provides financial support for faculty or instructional staff at universities and community colleges to pursue a sabbatical either at an industry member (Tier 1 or Tier 2) or at NIIMBL’s Headquarters (NIIMBL HQ) in Delaware to support NIIMBL-led projects.
Objectives
Requirements
NIIMBL eXperience Day RFI
NIIMBL is seeking input and interest in the concept of NIIMBL eXperience Day, an effort to raise awareness of the biopharmaceutical industry for all education levels and backgrounds. NIIMBL eXperience Day will build on the success of the week-long eXperience program. Similar to the eXperience program, NIIMBL eXperience Day should include hands-on activities, industry partners, and interactions with professionals working in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, but will focus specifically on local/regional audiences.
The submission deadline is July 17, 2025.
Interoperable Model Module (Upstream) RFA2025.01
Interoperable Model Module to Simulate Scale-Dependent Effects during Cell Culture Production of Glycosylated Proteins Request for Application (RFA2025.01)
Objectives of the project: Develop software modules which are interoperable with others developed for the NIIMBL Big Data Program modeling and simulation team for protein glycosylation prediction. The newly developed modules will incorporate scale-dependent effects common in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and increase accuracy of cell culture process and protein glycosylation profile predictions for all scales.
Through this RFA, NIIMBL intends to fund one project with funding up to $300,000.
The application deadline is July 29, 2025.
Interoperable Model Module (Downstream) RFA2025.02
Interoperable Model Module to Simulate Buffer-Induced pH-Shifts During Chromatography Steps Request for Application (RFA2025.02)
Objectives of the project: Develop software modules which are interoperable with others within the CADET Chromatography Analysis and Design Toolkit (https://cadet-web.de/simulation/about_us/). The resulting modules would increase accuracy of predictions for all chromatography separations which involve ionic interactions (CEX, AEX, Protein-A, Hydroxyapatite, etc.). The modules would also be applicable to many different wash and elution contexts (buffer, salts, adsorbed species, adsorbent ligand, etc.) through use of libraries of titratable group pK values and other parameters needed for the simulation. It is most desirable that modules use open-source tools which do not require special licenses or cost for their use (Python, etc.)
Through this RFA, NIIMBL intends to fund one project with funding up to $300,000.
The application deadline is July 29, 2025.
RFA: Faculty Fellows
NIIMBL is pleased to announce the pilot of a faculty sabbatical in industry program. The NIIMBL Faculty Fellows program provides financial support for faculty or instructional staff at universities and community colleges to pursue a sabbatical either at an industry member (Tier 1 or Tier 2) or at NIIMBL’s Headquarters (NIIMBL HQ) in Delaware to support NIIMBL-led projects.
Objectives
Requirements
NIIMBL funded 32 coronavirus response projects to multiple organizations across the United States.
NIIMBL awarded 11 new member-led technology, workforce development, and Global Health Fund projects with a value of ~$11.2 million.
December 2023
LigaTrap Technologies, LLC, Merck & Co., Inc., MilliporeSigma/EMD Serono, North Carolina State University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
August 2023
North Carolina State University
August 2023
PATH Center for Vaccines Innovation & Access
August 2023
Fraunhofer USA
November 2022
Merck & Co., Inc., Pfizer, Inc., University of Maryland Baltimore
Mission
Accelerate the development and adoption of data-driven innovation and standards to increase the speed and resilience of biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
Vision
Data-driven technologies optimize the productivity of biopharmaceutical manufacturing and accelerate the delivery of high-quality medicines to patients.
By 2029, the PI program proposes to invent, design, demonstrate, and support commercialization of integrated biopharmaceutical manufacturing technology to transform drug substance (DS) and drug product (DP) manufacturing capability, enabling the following:
Mission
Accelerate the implementation of new preventive medical countermeasure manufacturing technologies across multiple platform processes by addressing workforce and technology issues that U.S. and global manufacturers and suppliers face and establishing a Center of Excellence for Vaccine Analytics and Assays.
Vision
Accelerate the production of innovative preventive medical countermeasures by ensuring that both U.S.-based and global medical countermeasure manufacturers and suppliers have adequate support to implement advanced manufacturing and product characterization processes.
Learn more about the Preventive Medical Countermeasure Program
Mission
Develop and make broadly available a robust, economically viable, shared-access platform for the technical development, manufacturing, and characterization of AAV-based gene therapy vectors. Ensure that workforce training for this platform can integrate into existing curriculum or training models to encourage adoption, and integrate improvements into the platform based on feedback from these training programs.
Vision
A gene-based therapeutics industry capable of serving patients across the full spectrum of unmet needs—from prevalent indications to ultra-rare diseases—that has access to high-quality viral vectors without cost or speed limitations.
Big data
Mission
Accelerate the development and adoption of data-driven innovation and standards to increase the speed and resilience of biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
Vision
Data-driven technologies optimize the productivity of biopharmaceutical manufacturing and accelerate the delivery of high-quality medicines to patients.
Process intensification
By 2029, the PI program proposes to invent, design, demonstrate, and support commercialization of integrated biopharmaceutical manufacturing technology to transform drug substance (DS) and drug product (DP) manufacturing capability, enabling the following:
Preventive Medical Countermeasures
Mission
Accelerate the implementation of new preventive medical countermeasure manufacturing technologies across multiple platform processes by addressing workforce and technology issues that U.S. and global manufacturers and suppliers face and establishing a Center of Excellence for Vaccine Analytics and Assays.
Vision
Accelerate the production of innovative preventive medical countermeasures by ensuring that both U.S.-based and global medical countermeasure manufacturers and suppliers have adequate support to implement advanced manufacturing and product characterization processes.
Learn more about the Preventive Medical Countermeasure Program
Viral vector manufacturing & analytics
Mission
Develop and make broadly available a robust, economically viable, shared-access platform for the technical development, manufacturing, and characterization of AAV-based gene therapy vectors. Ensure that workforce training for this platform can integrate into existing curriculum or training models to encourage adoption, and integrate improvements into the platform based on feedback from these training programs.
Vision
A gene-based therapeutics industry capable of serving patients across the full spectrum of unmet needs—from prevalent indications to ultra-rare diseases—that has access to high-quality viral vectors without cost or speed limitations.
The NIIMBL eXperience is a hands-on, expenses-paid week-long program for college first years and sophomores to gain real-world insight into career possibilities in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
It’s also an opportunity for NIIMBL academic or non-profit Member organizations to serve as regional lead organizations that will plan, recruit students, and run a NIIMBL eXperience program in their region.
The NIIMBL Faculty Fellows program provides financial support for faculty or instructional staff at universities and community colleges to pursue a sabbatical either at an industry member or at NIIMBL’s Headquarters in Delaware to support NIIMBL-led projects.
We offer a variety of membership options that give you the flexibility to choose your organization’s level of engagement based on technology interests and priorities.