OHM Researcher Award and Funding Support

Endowed by OHM Holdings Inc., Ontario, CA, the OHM Researcher Award recognizes outstanding research that advances biomanufacturing technologies for food and nutritional ingredient applications. The award honors researchers whose work demonstrates innovative use of synthetic biology, AI, fermentation, or process engineering to generate scalable, sustainable solutions with relevance to agriculture, food systems, feed, and human nutrition. The award consists of an engraved plaque and financial support to further the recipient's research activities.

Key Information and Dates

• Individual Award Budget: $5,000

• Call Opens: February 16, 2026

• Full Applications Due: April 23, 2026

• Award Notification: May 6, 2026

• Anticipated Project Start Date: August 1, 2026

1. Program Overview

As global demand for nutritious, affordable, and sustainable food continues to increase, innovation in bioprocessing and ingredient manufacturing is essential to strengthening food and agriculture supply chains and improving human health outcomes. Advances in fermentation, biomass upgrading, separation technologies, and process integration offer opportunities to transform agricultural and food-system feedstocks into high-value food and nutritional ingredients.

OHM Holdings Inc. is launching this academic research partnership program to support innovative, pre-competitive research at institutions of higher education that advances scalable bioprocessing technologies for food and nutritional ingredient applications. The program aims to bridge fundamental research and industrial translation by supporting work that is scientifically rigorous, application-oriented, and relevant to real-world manufacturing constraints.

OHM Holdings Inc. is an innovation-driven company specializing in the development, production, and selling of food and nutritional ingredients through advanced biomanufacturing and AI-driven technologies. OHM was founded with a clear vision to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and global market impact. By owning the entire value chain — from R&D and industrial translation to commercialization — OHM creates lasting value in the health ingredients space. The company actively collaborates with higher-education institutions and industry partners to support translational research, workforce development, and the commercialization of next-generation food and nutrition solutions.

2. Research Areas Supported

This Request for Applications (RFA) supports pre-competitive research that advances bioprocessing and manufacturing technologies for food and nutritional ingredients. Research may address challenges at any stage of the value chain, provided the work demonstrates relevance to scalable food or nutrition systems.

Research areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Bioprocess and fermentation design for food and nutritional ingredient production

• Conversion of agricultural or food-processing co-products into food-grade ingredients

• Process intensification, separation, and purification strategies compatible with food systems

• Development of functional carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, or bioactive compounds

• Integrated bioprocess–formulation approaches that improve ingredient performance

• Strategies to reduce cost, variability, or environmental footprint of ingredient manufacturing

Applicants should clearly identify:

• The technical or scientific gap being addressed

• The proposed innovation or solution

• The relevance to food or nutritional ingredient systems

• A pathway toward scalability or translation

Collaborations across disciplines and institutions, as well as engagement with non-academic partners, are strongly encouraged.

3. Research Areas Not Supported

This RFA does not support:

• Research unrelated to food or nutritional ingredient systems

• Projects focused solely on animal feed or non-food industrial products

• Clinical trials or human subject intervention studies

• Full commercial-scale manufacturing or facility construction

• Projects lacking a plausible pathway to scale-up or translation

4. Eligibility

OHM welcomes applications from all eligible domestic and international higher education institutions.

• Eligible applicants include accredited higher-education institutions and affiliated research centers.

• Applications must be submitted through the applicant's institution.

• Individuals may not apply independently.

• Students may not serve as Principal Investigators (PIs) but may participate as research personnel.

5. Funding Availability & Project Duration

• Funding requests (USD$5,000) are available for all proposed projects.

• Matching funds are encouraged but not mandatory.

• The project duration of 18 months is recommended, but it can

  be longer if justified.

• The project start date should be August 1, 2026.

• A maximum of 10% of the total award costs may be allocated to indirect costs (IDC).

• Budgets should be reasonable and well-justified in relation to the project objectives.

• Funds may be utilized for research personnel, supplies, equipment, and analytical expenses that align with academic research practices.

• Funding is intended to support research and translational development, not the full commercial deployment of the project's outcomes.

6. Indirect Costs Policy

OHM allows applicants to request indirect costs (IDCs) of up to ten percent (10%) of the total costs funded by OHM. These IDCs, often described as Facilities and Administrative (F&A) expenses, are calculated as a percentage of the total costs requested and are intended to support institutional overhead associated with the project.

IDCs typically include expenses that can be specifically attributed to the proposed work, such as project personnel salaries, laboratory materials and supplies, equipment purchases, data analysis services, and travel directly related to the project. In contrast, IDCs cover broader institutional expenses that support research activities but cannot be directly assigned to a single project, including departmental administration, facility operations, rent, and infrastructure support.

Upon request, OHM may approve an IDC rate lower than 10% for a project or subaward. However, the IDC rate applied to matching funds must not be lower than the rate applied to OHM-supported funds. Additionally, unrecovered IDCs — defined as the gap between an institution's federally negotiated indirect cost rate and OHM's 10% IDC — may not be counted as matching contributions. For projects providing matching funds at a ratio of two-to-one or greater, OHM retains the authority to review and negotiate the IDC rate associated with the match on an individual basis.

7. Intellectual Property and Data Considerations

OHM recognizes that research supported through this program may generate intellectual property with scientific or commercial value. Ownership of intellectual property will remain with the grantee institution, consistent with institutional policies.

Applicants may be asked to provide a brief description of:

• Anticipated intellectual property outcomes (if any)

• A high-level plan for data sharing, publication, and knowledge dissemination

• Potential pathways for future collaboration or licensing

Should any intellectual property arise from the funded work, OHM will have the first right of negotiation to obtain an exclusive or non-exclusive commercial license under fair and commercially reasonable terms. OHM Holdings is committed to transparent, good-faith collaboration that respects academic freedom while enabling future translation.

8. Application Components

A complete application should include:

• Project title (up to 250 characters)

• Principal Investigator and key personnel information

• Project abstract, suitable for public use (up to 200 words)

• Project narrative (up to 2 pages), including:

  • Background and significance

  • Research objectives and approach

  • Anticipated outputs and impact

• Budget summary and justification (1 page)

• Equipment and facilities (up to 1 page)

• A letter of commitment from the Office of Sponsored Research

• A letter of support from the department/unit head

• Optional letters of collaboration (up to 3 letters)

• Biographical sketch of the PI (up to 2 pages)

Awards will be administered through an institutional agreement between OHM Holdings Inc. and the grantee institution. Funded projects will be expected to provide periodic progress updates and a final report summarizing research outcomes.

9. How to Apply

All applications must be submitted by the deadline date, along with a PDF file, to the email address cto@ohmholding.com. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

10. Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on:

• Technical Merit and Innovation: Scientific rigor and originality; relevance to bioprocessing and ingredient manufacturing challenges

• Feasibility and Translation Potential: Soundness of approach and work plan; consideration of scale-up, cost, or manufacturability

• Impact: Potential benefit to food systems, agriculture, and human nutrition; likelihood of impact beyond the project period

• Team Qualifications: Expertise of the research team; access to facilities and resources