SWPDC/BCM/TCH Capstone Projects
Applications are open, apply by May 21st!
The Southwest-Midwest National Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium (SWPDC) is pleased to offer the annual SWPDC Annual Call for Projects to Address Unmet Needs with Novel Pediatric Devices for the 2025-2026 academic year. The purpose of these awards is to foster the innovation of pediatric medical devices.
The Capstone Project calls for project ideas still in the concept stage with an identified unmet need with no prototype yet. This project is an opportunity for innovators to connect and collaborate with future industry leaders through a partnership with Rice and Texas A&M. Ideas will be submitted as potential capstone projects for seniors.
The final posters/updates for this year’s projects (2024– 2025) projects will be available at the Annual Engineering Showcases at Rice (April 17, 2025, http://oedk.rice.edu/showcase) and Texas A&M (April 25, 2025, https://engineering.tamu.edu/student-life/project-showcase/index.html)
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicants must be Texas Children’s Hospital or Baylor College of Medicine faculty or team member
- Pediatric project ideas and identified unmet device needs who do not have a prototype yet
Please email SouthwestPDC@bcm.edu with any questions regarding the capstone project program.
Further information may be requested by the SWPDC staff. Please carefully review the eligibility criteria below before applying.
Submission and Review Process
- Online applications are due by 5:00 PM CT on Tuesday, May 21st, 2025
- Applications will be reviewed by the SWPDC review committee. Notification of application outcome will be sent early June. Additional information may be requested by the SWPDC team.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on the following categories: Significance, Innovation, Feasibility
Progress Report
Progress reports are required on a six-month basis. The progress report should detail the progress made on the project.
SWPDC is a multi-institutional consortium that is supported by an FDA P50 grant, anchored by Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), and is dedicated to improving children’s health by supporting pediatric device innovators to create novel pediatric medical devices with local, regional, and national institutional and innovation partners.
A great need currently exists for medical devices designed specifically for children, which is most likely a result of economic, clinical, and regulatory challenges, as well as a lack of established mechanisms for joining pediatric device ideas with qualified individuals/programs and industry partners to create innovative and needed pediatric devices.
The Southwest-Midwest National Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium (SWPDC) is one of five U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) P50 grant-supported pediatric device consortia. SWPDC is a “free no-strings-attached” virtual accelerator that supports pediatric device innovators nationwide with product, technology, and business acceleration services throughout the pediatric device life cycle from idea to commercial/clinical launch.
Questions can be directed to Chester Koh, MD, or Brandon Hunter, MD at SouthwestPDC@BCM.edu.