Maine Technology Asset Fund Purpose In 2007, the Maine State Legislature authorized and the voters of the State of Maine approved $50 million in bond funds for research, development and commercialization projects that boost economic development and create jobs across the State. The Legislature directed the Maine Technology Institute (MTI) to administer this venture based on its track record of administering high-impact innovation funding programs in the for-profit, nonprofit and university sectors. MTI has established the Maine Technology Asset Fund in response to this directive. The Maine Technology Asset Fund is a two-year, competitive award program. The awards must be used to fund capital and related expenditures supporting research, development and commercialization projects that will lead to significant economic benefits for Maine. The expenses may include facilities construction and renovation, machinery and equipment (including computers, software and licenses required for their use, as well as related technician training for operation of equipment and machinery purchased) and land purchase. This may also include expenses directly associated with the acquisition and installation of such assets. The awards may not be used to fund ordinary annual operating expenses. Applications will be reviewed competitively according to five criteria: economic impact, scientific merit, project team and institution, relevance to Maine's innovation economy and collaboration. To oversee the review of all applications, MTI is contracting with the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS), a respected scientific organization that has worked with over 30 states to implement research and technology commercialization programs. Applicants who move forward to the second phase of review will participate in an interview panel. There will be two rounds of awards: the current one, which closed on April 17, 2008, and another at the end of 2008.  The MTI board anticipates approving this first round of awards by September 2008. For this current round, please review the application deadlines below. Click here for questions and answers about the fund and the application process. First Round of Applications: Closed on April 17, 2008. The following information concerns the first round of applications that closed on April 17, 2008. First Review of All Applications AAAS's panels of expertsreviewed and rank ordered all applications based on three criteria: EconomicGrowth and Impact (25 points), Scientific or Engineering Merit and Feasibility (25points), Team and Institutional Merit and Commitment (20 points). Clickhere for the application review form. The highest ofthe scored and ranked applications are moved to the interview phase. Refer to Questions and Answers . First-Round Interviews and Selection Applicants invitedto interview in person before a panel will address issues raised in the writtenreview process and field questions from the interview panel. During theinterview, reviewers will score and then rank order applications according tothe following criteria: Economic Growth and Impact (25 points), Scientific orEngineering Merit and Feasibility (25 points), Team and Institutional Merit andCommitment (20 points), Relevance to Maine's Innovation Economy Needs (15points) and Collaboration (15 points). The interviewpanel will be comprised of AAAS-recruited experts from outside the State of Maine, who will score applicants on the first threecriteria above, and experts from Maine withdeep knowledge of Maine's innovation economyand research needs, selected by MTI, who will score applications on Relevanceto Maine'sInnovation Economy Needs and on Collaboration. Refer to Questions and Answers . Subsequent to theinterviews, AAAS will create a new rank ordered list of the interviewed applicants,based on the external and Mainereviewers' scores, and provide a written review for each application. AAAS willthen forward to the MTI Board the new rank ordered list of applications thatbest meet the stated goals and criteria of the program. Click here for a list of first-round applicants invited to appear before the interview panel. Application Deadlines for the First Round of Applications and Awards March 17, 2008 : Closed Deadline to submit the Notice of Intent to apply: 12:00 noon filed electronically on the MTI form. Late submissions will not be accepted. March 21, 2008 : Closed Deadline for submitting questions to MTI about the Request for Application for the first round of awards for the Maine Technology Asset fund. April 17, 2008 : Closed Deadline to submit paper applications 5:00 p.m. Late submissions will not be accepted. Notice of Intent to Apply   Prospective applicants must submit electronically a Notice of Intent to Apply. Submitting a Notice does not bind a prospective applicant to submitting an application; however, an application will neither be accepted nor reviewed unless a Notice of Intent has been filed by the deadline. The instructions for the Notice of Intent and the Notice of Intent form for the second round of awards will be posted here when the second round of awards is announced in late 2008. At that time you will be able to view the instructions and the form for the Notice of Intent here. The form can then be accessed by clicking on the link at the end of the instructions. Complete the form online, review the completed form and then push the Submit button to send the form electronically to MTI.   Request for Applications   The deadline for applications for the first round of awards closed at 5 p.m., April 17, 2008. Please note that late submissions will not be accepted. Email questions about the application process to techfund@mainetechnology.org. MTI Workshops on the Fund For the second round of awards, MTI staff will offer workshops across the state about the Maine Technology Asset Fund and processes for application, review and reward, as well as answer questions potential applicants may have. Dates will be announced late this summer. Please note that registration with MTI is requested either by phone or e-mail, as noted with the workshop list. Reviewers' Forms T he following forms will be used by reviewers to assess applications for the first round of awards. These forms may be revised for the second round of awards. Click each form to open in Acrobat. Written Review Instructions Form Written Review Form Interview Review Form  Questions and Answers MTI offers these answers to questions asked during workshops and via email in an effort to provide a general interpretation of the Request for Applications for the first round of awards. MTI cannot guarantee that the general responses will apply in the case of each individual project; when there is a contradiction the RFA will rule. These questions and answers may be revised for the second round of awrds. Click here to view the questions and answers.