Defending citizens and servicemembers against
chemical or biological attack, as well as the threat of emerging diseases, is a
priority mission for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), part of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services and the Fort Detrick campus. NIH is the
nation’s medical research agency. It spearheads the charge against diseases
such as Ebola, cancer and tick-borne illness by working with leaders across a
spectrum of scientific disciplines to improve health and save lives. Their
Counter Act Program identifies and funds scientists developing select drugs and
treatments, including projects managed by Mesa Science Associates Inc. (MSA).
MSA is a veteran owned company based at the
Frederick Innovative Technology Center, Inc. (FITCI) on Metropolitan Ct. The
company provides consulting services and program management to drug developers
and investigators from industry, government and academia. This year Mr. Michael
Mesa, MSA President, and his team are attending the 2018 annual meeting of drug
developers and investigators as both delegates and sponsors. The gathering is
funded through the NIH Counter Act program and is hosted by the University of
Colorado in the Denver on June 13 and 14. Mesa and MSA host the poster session
reception on Wednesday, 6/13, and have a booth at the meeting, highlighting
recent achievements and collaborative opportunities.
Dr. Ken Dretchen, MSA CSO, is Co-Investigator
on two U-O1 grants held by a Principal Investigator from the University of
California San Diego. The MSA team provides technical and scientific support to
the holder of both grants. Dr. Dretchen is also listed as Co-Investigator on a
U-01 grant application submitted by a Counter Act investigator from the
University of Colorado and is a member of the PhRMA Foundation Basic
Pharmacology Advisory Committee.
Kathie Callahan Brady, CEO of FITCI, says MSA
is emerging as a national industry contender. “As a science and technology
incubator, we are privileged to be so close to Fort Detrick and the
cutting-edge therapies advanced by NIH. Mesa Science Associates is a perfect
complement. In just a few short years since its inception, the company is
making an impact on a national scale. It’s good business and good for the
region, but that collective effort reaches even further as each project serves
to protect and improve countless lives.”
Mr. Mesa says the team is looking forward to
re-joining colleagues, past and present, while learning about the progress on
Counter Act funded projects. For more information about Mesa Science Associates
please visit http://www.mesascience.com.
Written By:
MICHAEL MESA and Kathie Callahan Brady
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ANNOUNCES 51 “BUILD TO SCALE” GRANTS TOTALING $47 MILLIONTO FUEL INNOVATION AND TECH-BASED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Contact: EDA Public Affairs Department, (202) 482-4085
October 5, 2022
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced that the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding 51 “Build to Scale” grants – totaling $47 million – to organizations that support technology entrepreneurs, catalyze innovation and fuel economic growth.
EDA’s “Build to Scale” program provides annual grants that aim to accelerate technology entrepreneurship by increasing inclusive access to entrepreneurial support and startup capital. The 2022 awardees will leverage an additional $48 million in matching funds from a variety of private and public sector sources. These EDA investments support advanced manufacturing, bioscience, clean energy and blue economy clusters in regions throughout the United States.
"Strengthening technology ecosystems are a critical key to the Biden Administration's efforts to build a stronger America,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Innovation and entrepreneurship have long been keys to American success and will continue to strengthen our collective economic and national security, as well as individual prosperity and well-being.”
"EDA is proud to partner with this year's 'Build to Scale' grantees as they invest in entrepreneurs and create equitable access to capital in their communities," said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. "These projects will give the next generation of industry-leading companies a seminal boost that will result in job creation and private investment – potentially transforming a regional economy and creating economic opportunity beyond what we can foresee.”
The 2022 Build to Scale program was comprised of two competitions––the Venture Challenge and the Capital Challenge. The Venture Challenge supports programs that enable high-growth technology entrepreneurship and foster inclusive access to proven entrepreneurship support models. The Capital Challenge increases access to capital in communities where risk capital is in short supply by providing operational support for early-stage investment funds, networks, and training programs that focus on both traditional and hybrid equity-based financing.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation's regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
