Initiatives

Starting from a firm foundation of proven academic and industry assets, BioCrossroads has launched several businesses and industry/academic collaborations to pursue new life sciences opportunities. Our organization also has provided a platform for the launch of other enterprises, including funding and science education initiatives.

BIOCROSSROADSLINX Indiana has nearly 50 contract service providers for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and more than 6,300 highly-skilled employees working in this growing industry, ranging from toxicology to drug formulation to contract manufacturing and cold chain storage.  Recognizing an opportunity to advance this sector, BioCrossroads launched BioCrossroadsLINX in late 2007.  BioCrossroadsLINX is a non-profit organization helping Indiana’s biopharma development and manufacturing sector – our companies, our people, and our institutions – connect with one another as well as with biotech discovery centers around the U.S. such as San Diego, San Francisco and Boston.  

BioCrossroads, Cook Group, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Indiana University School of Medicine, Ivy Tech Community College, and Purdue University partnered to form BioCrossroadsLINX, bringing together a strong alliance to create unique partnerships across the academic and workforce spectrum.

DATALYS CENTER FOR SPORTS INJURY RESEARCH AND PREVENTION is a national non-profit organization formed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), BioCrossroads, and the American College of Sports Medicine that conducts and provides research and surveillance expertise to support the sports injury information needs of organizations focused on improving the health and safety of the growing number of Americans who are physically active and/or participate in sports. Through the Center’s collection and analysis of sports participation, injury and treatment data, programs, policies, rules and education can be developed in order to prevent and treat sports injuries more effectively.

The Datalys Center builds on the NCAA’s Injury Surveillance System (ISS). The NCAA has continued its involvement with sports injury surveillance as the Center’s first collaborative partner. The NCAA has been collecting injury and exposure data from a sample of NCAA institutions in a variety of sports for 25 years. This effort, which has resulted in the creation of the largest ongoing collegiate sports injury database in the world, has established the NCAA as a leader in student-athlete injury surveillance and prevention, and the Datalys Center will leverage the NCAA’s prominence in this area.

EXIBHIT INDIANA (Expanding Indiana’s Breakthroughs in Health Information Technology) is a branding initiative focused on advancing the development and effective use of HIT within Indiana and across the U.S.

FAIRBANKS INSTITUTE FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES is creating one of the most comprehensive resources for finding better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat the nation’s common diseases. The Institute is assembling and maintaining a database, linking biological samples with clinical and disease-specific information collected from the Indianapolis population for academic and commercial research use. 

The first research platform is targeting coronary artery disease (CAD). The Fairbanks Institute, through the Indiana Health Study, will collect blood samples and information from people in Indianapolis with current clinical indications for CAD.

I-STEM RESOURCE NETWORK  Based on a recent study, Indiana is likely to see more than 40,000 new jobs in the life sciences by 2012. The Indiana Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (I-STEM) Resource Network will help position Indiana’s workforce to take advantage of these job opportunities by creating programs to improve STEM knowledge in K-12 students. The I-STEM Resource Network is a statewide consortium of 14 higher education institutions dedicated to measurably improving K-12 student achievement in the STEM disciplines by focusing on professional development for K-12 STEM teachers, the creation of formal relationships between these teachers and institutions of higher education, and hands-on activities and learning opportunities for students and families. The I-STEM Resource Network began in 2004 through the efforts of BioCrossroads, connecting higher education officials, corporate leaders and policy makers in a shared focus on the improvement of K-12 STEM studies.

INDIANA HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE) regional health information network, established in 2004 by BioCrossroads, Regenstrief Institute (one of the largest and most comprehensive medical informatics laboratories in the world housed at Indiana University School of Medicine), local and state health departments, public and non-profit  hospitals and others, is “the most advanced in the United States” according to a prominent health policy publication. IHIE today connects 39 hospitals, 10,000 physicians and more than 6 million patients to securely aggregate and accurately deliver lab results, reports, medication histories, and treatment histories to all providers regardless of hospital system or location. 

INDIANA SEED FUND The $6 million, return-driven Indiana Seed Fund I was launched in June 2005 and is managed by BioCrossroads. The Seed Fund provides working capital in the range of $50,000-$500,000 to promising Indiana life sciences companies at the preliminary stages of operation. The Indiana Seed Fund also aims to match capital to milestone accomplishments that can best position each portfolio company for future venture investments.

INDY HUB Indy Hub was formed in June 2005 by the City of Indianapolis and BioCrossroads to help Indianapolis attract and retain young professionals and create a more vibrant young professional community in the City. Indy Hub hosts a variety of events for young professionals, and it promotes other cool and interesting opportunities throughout the Indianapolis and central Indiana.