What is it?

Sanofi is committed to collaborating with partners to advance cutting-edge discoveries into transformative medicines that improve patient lives. The Sanofi Innovation Awards (iAwards) program, created in 2015, was designed to do just that. More than 26 top academic and medical centers in North America participate in this program to advance innovations in target identification and translational science into first-in-class therapeutic solutions.

Sanofi iAwards is a one-year program consisting of:

  • Seed funding of $125.000 USD
  • Dedicated Sanofi Project Champion and resources (subject matter experts)
  • A steppingstone to further collaboration

Who are we looking for?

Principal investigators from academic partner institutions developing cutting-edge therapeutic solutions in the following areas: 

  • Immuno- and molecular-oncology
  • Immunology and inflammatory diseases 
  • Rare and neurological diseases 
  • Genomic medicine 
  • Precision medicine 
  • New therapeutic modalities

A fast process to select and start projects in less than 8 months:

Get ready for our next call to be launched in early 2023

"I am pleased by the continued partnership between the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Sanofi, in particular the success of the Sanofi iAwards. Our investigators" appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with Sanofi scientists and leadeership on cutting-edge, scientific ideas - advancing the innovative work from concept to application. As a JSSC member, I am delighted to foster this partnership and support the program's grouwth, not only at Penn, but accorss the U.S."

Jonathan A. Epstein, M.D., Executive Vice Dean and Chief Scientific Officer, WIlliam Wikoff Smith Professor of MEdicine, Perelman School of Medecine at the University of Pennsylvania, Sanofi iAwards External Joint Scientific Steering Commitee Member

“Thanks to the iAwards program, we joined forces with the bright team of scientists at Sanofi to propel the field of non-invasive gene delivery to the brain. It is incredibly stimulating and productive, generating exciting discoveries with translational potential. The collective knowledge and expertise made possible through this continued collaborative partnership could transform the future gene therapy for patients with neurological disorders.”

Isabelle Aubert, Senior Scientist, Biological Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto

“The program enables advancing scientifically novel yet risky projects, that if successful, could produce transformative medicines. The financial support, expertise and reagents from Sanofi as part of this collaboration is critical for advancing novel bench side discoveries to the clinic.”

Vijay Kuchroo, Ph.D., Samuel L. Wasserstrom professor of Neurology at Harvard medical School, Co-Director of the Center for Injection and Immunity, Brigham Research Institutes, Boston, Associate Member of the Broad Institute

“The iAwards program is a fantastic opportunity and partnership to move forward a small molecule technology with a leading pharmaceutical company in the oncology space. The scientists involved with the Sanofi iAwards program are completely invested in the science and their insight is crucial to understanding the science and the technology.”

Nicolas Nassar, PhD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

"Our iAwards program collaborates with top academic innovators to quickly bring early-stage value creating projects to Sanofi’s research pipeline. About 40% of our iAwards projects convert into multi-year Sponsored Research Agreements that provide key medical solutions to the patient."

Dr. Wayne Rowe, Director of Sanofi’s iAwards Program 

iAward recipients for the 2022 cycle:

  • Changning Wang, Mass General Hospital
  • Francesca Bartolini, Columbia University 
  • Nikolas Patsoukis, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 
  • Casey Maguire, Mass General Hospital 
  • Eric Smith, Dana Farber Cancer Institute
  • Joe Zhou, Weill Cornell Medicine 
  • Jonathan Schneck, Johns Hopkins Medicine 
  • Daniel Tenen, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 
  • Rohit Chandwani, Weill Cornell Medicine

For a complete list of past and current recipients, click here.

iAward Program Partners:

  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center 
  • Boston Children’s Hospital 
  • Brigham and Woman’s Hospital 
  • California Institute of Technology 
  • Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center 
  • Columbia University 
  • Dana Farber Cancer Institute 
  • Harvard University 
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Massachusetts General Hospital 
  • MD Andersons Cancer Center 
  • New York University 
  • Northeastern University 
  • Sinai Health System 
  • Stanford Medicine 
  • Sunnybrook Research Institute 
  • Ohio State University 
  • Tufts University
  • University of California Los Angeles Technology Development Group 
  • University of California San Francisco 
  • University Health Network 
  • University of Florida 
  • University of Massachusetts Medical School 
  • University of Pennsylvania 
  • Vanderbilt University 
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center 
  • Weill Cornell Medicine

For more information about the North America iAwards, contact SRI-NA@sanofi.com

North America page and other partnering initiatives