Baltimore Money Moves: Johns Hopkins gets $21M for Cancer Moonshot research

It’s been a big month for government funding in the Baltimore region.

The White House is looping in Johns Hopkins University for work on the Cancer Moonshot initiative, TEDCO made a bunch of investments, and the Maryland Energy Administration is helping public schools get set for renewable energy projects. There’s also a new fellowship for social entrepreneurs in Baltimore. 

Scroll on for details on those and more money moves, but first check out our monthly look at which companies are hiring for tech jobs in the region, and how that’s changed.

White House grants millions for cancer research

Johns Hopkins University received $20.9 million as part of the Biden administration’s Cancer Moonshot program.

These funds are part of a larger commitment from the White House, where $150 million in capital is funding cancer-related research and development across the country. It’s out of the recently established Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, which has allocated more than $400 million in two years toward efforts to treat and detect cancer.  

The funds are directed to a JHU research team developing a tool to better remove tumors and detect if cancer cells are left behind. 

“It’s not about one surgery versus two — it’s a matter of survival rate, human life,” said Emad Boctor, who’s the director of the Medical UltraSound Imaging and Intervention Collaboration Research Laboratory at the university. “Enabling a successful first surgery and ending it with a negative margin — when there are no cancer cells left behind — means that you are not only giving more years to the patient but sustaining their quality of life, as well.”

A fellowship for social entrepreneurs

In a new program from the Baltimore nonprofit CLLCTIVLY and the University of Pennsylvania, 12 entrepreneurs will be selected for a six month program of mentoring and funding. 

The Drs. Elmer and Joanne Martin Social Impact Fellowship is focused on finding ways to address inequities in the city. It’s named after the founders of the National Great Blacks In Wax Museum because of their focus on cultural preservation and education in Baltimore, per a press release. 

“This program not only honors the incredible legacy of Dr. Elmer and Joanne Martin but also invests in the future of Baltimore by equipping social entrepreneurs with the resources they need to lead transformative change,” said CLLCTIVLY Founder Jamye Wooten. “We look forward to seeing the innovative solutions and leadership that will emerge from this cohort.”

CLLCTIVLY is looking for entrepreneurs who’ve developed a project or organization that has plans in place to have sustainable revenue beyond grants. 

Each participant in the fellowship will receive $2,000 per month. Applications are due Aug. 30, and decisions will be made by Sept. 20. Apply here.

Other Baltimore-area raises and awards

• The Maryland Energy Administration is allocating $24 million to accelerate electrification and renewable energy projects in public schools throughout the state. 
• State-affiliated economic development nonprofit TEDCO invested a total of $2.1 million in seven companies in the state. Among those receiving funds were a University of Maryland, College Park spinout commercializing a suture alternative for intestinal tissue repair and an extended reality reading app for children with dyslexia. 
• Timonium-based SharpRank, which is aiming to use tech to protect people taking part in sports betting, also received $250,000 from TEDCO. 
• The federal government granted Maryland $4.7 million to boost training for the offshore wind industry. The funds are from the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration, which has not yet allocated Tech Hubs funding for the region.
  • This announcement comes as a global company announced $300 million in funding for offshore wind infrastructure in Wagner’s Point. 
• Catonsville software company RELI Group scored a 10-year, $33 million contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
• Comcast announced it’s giving $35 million to organizations across the country promoting access to technology and digital skills, including Baltimore’s Wide Angle Youth Media, which specializes in media arts education.