​What Gets a "Yes"? How to Make Your Project Stand Out for Funding

​What makes a research project stand out when competing for funding? What do reviewers look for, and why do some projects get selected over others?

​Join us for an upcoming session of The Midday Connect, where we'll explore what goes into funding decisions, how promising research projects are evaluated, and what it takes to move an innovation closer to commercialization.

​We'll hear insights from university innovation and commercialization professionals who have firsthand experience evaluating projects, supporting researchers, and helping promising technologies move forward.

​What we'll cover

• ​What makes a project fundable: Key factors reviewers consider when evaluating applications.

• ​Why projects get selected: Real examples of funded innovations and what made them stand out.

• ​Milestones that matter: How successful projects define their goals and demonstrate progress.

• ​Tips for stronger applications: Practical insights to help researchers and founders prepare for future funding opportunities.

​📅 Date: Tue, November 3, 2026
🕚 Time: 11 AM MT

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One of our Speakers:

​Joshua Bennett
Director of the Lab Venture Challenge & Assistant Director of Licensing, Physical Sciences and Engineering | Venture Partners at CU Boulder

​Joshua Bennett is an experienced technology commercialization professional at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he serves as Director of the Lab Venture Challenge (LVC) and Assistant Director of Licensing.

​With a background in intellectual property, technology transfer, and startup development, Joshua works closely with university researchers to evaluate innovations, identify commercial opportunities, and help promising technologies move toward the market.

​Through the Lab Venture Challenge, he helps support early-stage university innovations competing for grants of up to $125,000. He brings firsthand experience in evaluating research projects, understanding what makes funding applications competitive, and helping teams achieve key commercialization milestones.