The University of California, Davis, has awarded $100,000 through the autumn 2025 cohort of the Science Translation and Innovative Research (STAIR) Grant Program to help scientists advance innovative research with strong commercial potential.

Awardees of the autumn STAIR grant are Abhaya M. Dandekar, distinguished professor in the Department of Plant Sciences and director of the Plant Transformation Facility, and Keith Baar, professor in the Department of Neurology, Physiology and Behavior.

The autumn cohort of the STAIR program, now in its second year, is funded by the UC Davis Innovation and Economic Development Office (IEDO) and managed by Venture Catalyst, a unit within IEDO. The STAIR program serves an important role in the innovation pipeline, providing teams with funding to help advance their research and determine market viability. 

“Funding from the STAIR Grant Program continues to play a critical role in helping our faculty advance promising new technologies along a path toward societal impact,” said Simon Atkinson, vice chancellor for research at UC Davis.

Early-stage technologies developed at universities are often viewed as too uncertain to attract commercial investment. This lack of early funding creates a gap between basic research and commercialization. The STAIR grant helps bridge this gap by supporting proof-of-concept studies and establishing market viability, thereby de-risking UC Davis innovations. 

“We congratulate professors Dandekar and Baar, as well as their respective teams, on their awards. Their projects exemplify the impact of UC Davis research, and we look forward to supporting their next phases of development,” said George Baxter, chief innovation and economic development officer for UC Davis.

Following best practices used by federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grants, Venture Catalyst staff assembled external review committees consisting of industry professionals, investors and experienced entrepreneurs. These committees reviewed proposals, recommended STAIR award recipients, and provided feedback to all applicants.

Mass Producing Plant-based Alternatives to Synthetic Dyes

Abhaya M. Dandekar Distinguished Professor, Department of Plant Sciences

Changes in consumer expectations and regulations are limiting the use of many synthetic dyes, creating an urgent need for alternatives in the food, drug and cosmetic industries. Using plant somatic embryo cultures, Dandekar’s team is developing a method to propagate genetically modified plant lines for large-scale production of plant-derived dyes. The STAIR grant will allow the team to conduct a proof-of-concept study to assess the feasibility of commercial-scale production of melanin and betanin.

Turning Weakness into Strength with Improved Musculoskeletal Health

Keith Baar Professor, Department of Neurology, Physiology and Behavior

Tendinopathy is a widespread and debilitating condition, with up to 80% of people experiencing a tendon rupture by age 80. To address this, Baar’s team has developed the Aeneas Heel — an Achilles tendon-loading device with integrated Bluetooth — as a non-surgical, at-home option for proactively improving tendon health. The grant will fund the development of working prototypes of the device and a clinical study to assess its efficacy.

Looking Ahead

The autumn 2025 STAIR grant recipients join a growing community of UC Davis innovators advancing their work from the lab toward commercial opportunities. With this support, the projects will move into key proof-of-concept stages, accelerating the translation of ideas into impactful ventures in alignment with UC Davis’s mission as a land-grant institution.

For more information about the STAIR Grant Program, eligibility and future cycles, visit the Venture Catalyst website.

About the Innovation and Economic Development Office

The UC Davis Innovation and Economic Development Office (IEDO) is dedicated to advancing innovation and entrepreneurship by transforming research into impactful solutions that benefit communities, industries and the global economy. Comprised of the Venture Catalyst and UC Davis Health Ventures teams, IEDO helps launch startups, accelerate technologies born in the lab, and drive economic development initiatives, working closely with faculty, students and industry partners to move ideas from concept to commercialization.