Research

Nemo Prize

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Nemirovsky Engineering
and Medicine Opportunity
(NEMO) Prize

  • Request for Applications available
    Monday, March 25, 2024
  • Application and Letter of Intent (LOI) due
    Friday, May 17, 2024, at 5:00 PM PST

Originating with a generous gift from Shelly and Ofer Nemirovsky, the NEMO Prize is focused on supporting early-stage research at the intersection of health sciences and engineering that do not yet qualify for support by federal agencies and are not yet mature enough for private investment. Two $125,000 NEMO Prizes will be awarded annually to support true health-engineering collaborations.

Explore NEMO Prize 2023 Winners

Through-bone Optical Tomography of the Human

This project aims to develop and validate a non-invasive optical imaging method with sufficient spatial resolution and sufficient imaging depth to capture the micro-scale features of the human cochlea beneath the 500-700 μm thick promontory bone.

Chia Wei (Wade) Hsu

Chia Wei (Wade) Hsu, PhD

Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Southern California

Brian Applegate, PhD, Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering

Brian Applegate, PhD

Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering

John Oghalai, MD

John S. Oghalai, MD

Chair, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Leon J. Tiber and David S. Alpert Chair in Medicine, Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, USC Viterbi School of Engineering

RNA-based Nanoparticle Therapy for Polycystic Kidney Disease

This project aims to test a novel, paradigm shifting treatment modality for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), the most common life-threatening genetic disease.

Kenneth R. Hallows, MD, PhD

Kenneth R. Hallows, MD, PhD

Chief, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Professor of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Director, USC/UKRO Kidney Research Center, Director, USC Keck PKD Clinic, a PKD Foundation Center of Excellence

Eun Ji Chung, PhD

Eun Ji Chung, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience
Dr. Karl Jacob Jr. and Karl Jacob III Early Career Chair

Nuria Pastor-Soler, MD, PhD

Nuria Pastor-Soler, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Medicine, Associate Vice Chair for Faculty Development, Keck School of Medicine of USC

Eligibility

  • All faculty and research investigators from USC and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles are eligible to apply.
  • The most competitive applicants will have lead investigators from both the health sciences and engineering.
  • Early stage or seasoned investigators can apply however we encourage teams that include both early-stage and seasoned investigators.

Application Materials

  • Applicants will first submit a one-page LOI.
  • A NIH-formatted Biosketch for each Principal Investigator and Co-investigator.

How to Submit Application Materials

Review of Nominations and Finalist Selection

LOIs will be peer-reviewed by three USC faculty/investigators and the NEMO Prize Steering Committee. Those LOIs with the most competitive scores will be invited to submit a written proposal which will again be peer-reviewed by three USC faculty/investigators and the NEMO Prize Steering Committee. The proposals with the most competitive scores will be invited to present their team and project during a pitch session with the NEMO Prize Review Committee in early November.

Frequently Asked Questions

Check back periodically for more information. For all other questions, please contact NEMOPrize@usc.edu.

  • Yes, but the lead investigator(s) must be from USC or CHLA. In the event your team includes an investigator from another institution, you will need to include justification for this external investigator in your Letter of Intent. 

  • While we are not specifying a particular health related topic, your project should focus on addressing an important health related problem. Your Letter of Intent and application needs to propose an exciting health-engineering collaboration, and a project that has the potential, down the road, to improve health, health outcomes, and/or healthcare delivery.  

  • No preliminary data is needed but those invited to submit a proposal will need to demonstrate that the project is feasible, and the team has the resources it needs to be successful.  

  • The NEMO Prize is expected to support the costs of the proposed health-engineering collaborative project. Awardees will be given the authority to spend the funds as they deem appropriate. 

  • Funding can be used across multiple years. Awardees will be asked to provide an annual report and at that time, they may request permission to carry funds forward.