Recognizing that there is a high barrier to entry for researchers wanting to deploy mobile health technologies at scale, Sage Bionetworks is launching a program to provide pro bono consulting and in-kind infrastructure to support innovative ideas for biomedical research studies that leverage digital health technologies.
Winner(s) of the Digital Health Catalyst Program will receive support from Sage throughout the research lifecycle and will have their research highlighted through Sage’s Qualified Research Program, joining a growing list of digital health resources (mPower, Mole Mapper, Asthma Health).
Seattle-based Sage Bionetworks works to advance health research through practices that support the design, development and implementation of digital health studies, and the analysis and sharing of the resulting study data. It has spent the past 4 years identifying the components needed to successfully run a digital health research program. This includes additional roles (e.g. design expertise) as well as infrastructure to support research studies in digital health. It has worked with technology companies – including partnering with Apple to launch the first ResearchKit studies; with pharmaceutical companies – including partnering with Novartis to study Multiple Sclerosis; and with academic partners – including partnering with the NIH to integrate digital health technologies into the All of Us Research Program.
Sage said any researcher who has an innovative idea of how digital health technologies (smartphones, wearables, sensors) can help advance a research question in their specific domain should apply by filling out a Google Form. Finalists will be selected to give formal pitches to Sage’s Digital Health Catalyst judging panel.
Here are the key dates for the Digital Health Catalyst Program:
- June 4: Open for applications
- July 31: 1st round of applications due
- August 17: Finalists selected
- September 13-14: Finalists’ “virtual pitch” to Sage’s Digital Health Catalyst judging panel
- October 1: Winner(s) announced
