AIMS Awards
Support for researchers at universities, hospitals, and other academic research institutions around the world to discover new drugs.
What is the AIMS Awards program?
The goal of this program is to broaden the pool of scientists involved in the discovery of small molecules for the treatment and investigation of human diseases. To advance this goal, Atomwise seeks proposals from innovative university scientists to receive 72 potential medicines, generated specifically for their research by artificial intelligence. This Artificial Intelligence Molecular Screen (AIMS) program is designed to dramatically accelerate the race towards life-saving drugs by analyzing millions of compounds for each disease. Contributing AI technology and delivering physical molecules to labs across the world, the program is the first of its kind.
What do awardees receive?
- Customized small molecule virtual screen using AtomNet™ technology
- 72 small molecules predicted to bind to a specific target protein – ordered (QC verified by mass spectrophotometry, resuspended and diluted to a convenient concentration, aliquoted into microtiter plates, and delivered at no cost to the researcher)
- Support from Atomwise’s medicinal chemists and computational biologists
- Additional small molecules and support if criteria are met
What types of projects are best for an AIMS Award?
Atomwise will consider any project that could benefit from our expertise and technology. Project topics may be in any area, including those in agriculture, animal health, biotechnology, human biology, medicine, microbiology, plant biology, and virology. Ideally, applicants will have both of the following:
1.) A target protein with an X-ray crystal, Cryo-EM, or NMR structure, or with close sequence homology to protein with available structures.
2.) An established assay(s) that can:
- Test at least 72 small molecules, AND
- Directly measure protein function or activity, AND
- Measure IC50 or equivalent.
FAQs
What are the terms around intellectual property (IP) created in the project?
Each party owns their own solely created IP, and both parties will own any jointly created IP. Atomwise understands that universities and/or researchers may have different needs around IP, and we are happy to discuss this with you.
How long does it take to fill out an application?
Most researchers complete the application in less than an hour.
Can I apply as a graduate student or post-doc?
Yes, provided you have a professor supporting the project.
Do I need to sign the research agreement before I apply?
No. Only after you are selected for the award, we will reach out to your technology transfer office to work out the agreement.
What if I missed the deadline?
If you are interested in an AIMS Award, please contact us. We might have other opportunities or be able to offer an extension.
Who can apply?
Researchers with the support of a Principal Investigator (PI) from a non-profit university or research institution.
Can I submit more than one application?
Yes.
If I applied previously, can I apply again? If I received an award previously, can I apply again?
Yes, and yes!
Will you share the information in my application with others?
No, we will not share your application with a third party.
Could Atomwise work on the same target with other researcher(s)?
Atomwise works with a large number of researchers, so we’re unable to provide exclusivity around a submitted target. We don’t use confidential information from one project in any other project.
Does every proposal selected for an award receive in-kind support for assays?
No, only a proposal selected for the Early Applicant Award or Multi-Target Award will receive in-kind support for assays.
Application Process
AIMS is a streamlined program. Short applications are submitted online, and recipients will be announced about three months from the submission deadline. No preliminary data is required!
Deadline for proposals: October 28, 2019
Resources & More Information About the Awards
Request for Proposal (RFP) Fall 2019: PDF
Terms and Conditions: PDF
Research Agreement Template (US) PDF | DOC
Research Agreement Template (International) PDF | DOC
Preview of AIMS application PDF | DOC
Interested in our Chemistry for Academic Drug Discovery Startups (CADDS) Ecosystem? Learn more.
About Atomwise
Since 2012, AtomNet has been deployed to help invent new potential medicines for more than 200 disease targets. We work with leading research groups at top organizations including Stanford University, Duke University, DNDi, and several large pharmaceutical companies, to advance the frontier of human health.
Left: Ebola virus replicating in a human host cell.