EiR Program FAQs

Please see below for a list of our most frequently asked questions about the EiR program.

Does my venture need to be incorporated?

No. Your venture does not need to be incorporated to apply for the Temerty Medicine EiR program.

What stage should my venture be at?

The EiR program welcomes applications from ventures at any stage or development, though each stream is designed to best support ventures at specific points along their commercialization journey.

Stream 1 (Milestone-Driven Expert Support): Best suited for ventures in the pre-seed or seed stage with a validated technology seeking to achieve a pivotal commercialization milestone.
Stream 2 (Executive Engagement for Venture Growth): Best suited for ventures in the seed to early growth stage with a validated technology and/or initial market traction.

Please refer to the table below for further details on venture stages.

Venture Stage	Pre-Seed	Seed	Early Growth*
Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs)	TRL 3-4	TRL 4-6	TRL 6-7
Focus	Proof of concept Early prototype	Early to late prototype development and validation Prototype demonstration in relevant environment (in vivo and simulated settings)	Prototype development, validation and demonstration in relevant environment Early clinical validation (pilot/feasibility studies)
Funding Secured	Non-dilutive (grants, competitions, philanthropy)	Non-dilutive Pre-seed investment (Angel investors, friends and family, etc.)	Non-dilutive Pre-see investment (Angel investors, friends and family, etc.) Seed investment (Angel investors, seed-stage VC, etc.)

*Growth-stage ventures are typically at TRL 6 or higher. The Temerty Medicine EiR Program is intended to support ventures up to the “early growth” stage, generally corresponding to TRL 6–7. Ventures beyond TRL 7 are likely to have secured significant investment and should be positioned to hire executive leadership independently.

What is the difference between the Temerty Medicine EiR program and the mentorship offered through the Health Innovation Hub (H2i)?

All Temerty Medicine ventures, regardless of their stage, are encouraged to engage with H2i for flexible, ad hoc, and on-demand mentorship. H2i provides access to a broad network of mentors and subject-matter experts (SMEs) who offer targeted advice on topics such as regulatory strategy, business development, or pitching. Each venture is also paired with a lead mentor who meets with the team regularly to support progress and connect them with relevant experts.

The Temerty Medicine EiR Program offers funded, milestone-driven support for ventures that require sustained, hands-on expertise to advance commercialization. It enables ventures to hire and work directly with an SME, consultant, or fractional executive over several months to achieve defined commercialization milestones.

In short, H2i provides flexible, ad hoc advisory mentorship, while the EiR Program offers structured, funded engagement to help ventures reach pivotal milestones.

What is the difference between the Stream 1 and Stream 2 EiR funding?

	Stream 1 Milestone-Driven Expert Support	Stream 2 Executive Engagement for Venture Growth
Target Ventures	Temerty Medicine ventures (pre-seed to seed stage) that have identified a critical milestone to advance their commercial potential but lack in-house specialized expertise to achieve it	Growth-ready (seed to early growth stage) ventures with validated technologies that require executive level support
Purpose	Support ventures in reaching a pivotal milestone by enabling the recruitment of a subject matter expert (SME) or consultant (e.g., regulatory, business model, legal, reimbursement) to provide specialized advice	Provide fractional leadership (CEO/COO/BD Executive) to help ventures grow, raise capital, and/or secure key partnerships or licensing deals
Structure & Funding	Milestone-driven, short-term engagement of up to 6 months, with the possibility of a 3-month no-cost extension Supported by up to $10K for an SME or consultant	Milestone-driven, medium- to long-term deep engagement of up to 12 months, with the possibility of a 6-month no-cost extension Supported by up to $50K for executive leadership
Use of Funds	Funds must be used exclusively for the SME or consultant’s professional fees to deliver targeted services needed to reach a specific milestone	Funds must be used exclusively to support the salary of the fractional executive (CEO/COO/BD Executive)
Expected Outcomes	Achievement of specific, high-impact milestones that advance the commercial readiness of the venture	Growth acceleration through fundraising, partnership development, operational scaling, etc.

Do I need to apply for Stream 1 before applying to Stream 2?

No. Ventures may apply to either stream independently and in any order, based on their specific commercialization needs.

Can more than one SME or consultant be supported within a single EiR Stream 1 application?

No. Each Stream 1 EiR application is intended to support one SME or consultant for the proposed project.

What if I already have an SME, consultant or fractional executive whom I would like to work with and do not require personalized matching?

Ventures are welcome to apply to the Temerty Medicine EiR program even if they have already identified their preferred SME, consultant or fractional executive. In this case, please include the individual’s details and relevant qualifications as requested in the application form.

What if our venture currently owns the Intellectual Property (IP) and it is not assigned to the University of Toronto? Are we still eligible for Temerty Medicine EiR funding?

To be eligible for Temerty Medicine EiR funding, the IP should reside with, or be intended for assignment to, the University of Toronto (Temerty Faculty of Medicine). In exceptional cases where IP assignment is not feasible, the venture must demonstrate a clear plan to generate tangible benefits to the University (e.g., licensing, revenue-sharing, etc.).

I am interested in becoming an EiR for the program. How can I get involved?

Temerty Medicine welcomes experienced professionals interested in supporting health ventures as EiRs, including fractional executives, subject-matter experts (SMEs), and specialized consultants who can help guide early-stage teams through key commercialization milestones.

If you’re passionate about advancing health innovation and would like to get involved, please contact Andrea Hung (andrea.hung@utoronto.ca).