Deliverables

Awardees of this program are required to submit the following materials to the MLSC:

Progress Report will be submitted by all Awardees quarterly during the award period, with receipt of a Final Report no later than 30 days after the award period outlined in the Grant Agreement. These reports should describe progress made using the grant, as well as other metrics including, but not limited to number of students recruited, how recruited students heard about the program, number of graduates, demographic information, reasons for program exits, and placement / job status of graduates. A standard reporting form and/or platform will be provided to awardees upon execution of the Grant Agreement.   

Post Project Report will be submitted by all Awardees one year after Final Report and should describe the progress of the Awardee towards project execution and the impact of the Award on such progress. This report should describe outcomes from using the grant, as well as other metrics including, but not limited to number of students recruited, how recruited students heard about the program, number of graduates, demographic information, reasons for program exits, and placement / job status of graduates. A standard reporting form and/or platform will be provided to awardees upon execution of the Grant Agreement.

The Grant Agreement will outline expectations and requirements for minimum cohort recruitment and graduates. A successful program would be one that results in at least 60% of the original stated cohort size graduating from the program. A completion/graduation rate of less than 40% will result in an investigation by the MLSC.

Confidentiality

The MLSC is subject to the requirements concerning disclosure of public records under the Massachusetts Public Records Act, M.G.L. c. 66 (Public Records Act), which governs the retention, disposition and archiving of public records, such as written materials, financial statements, statistical tabulations and other documentary materials or data.  As a result, applicants should be aware that any information submitted to the MLSC is subject to public disclosure as set forth in the Public Records Act.

There are, however, exceptions. “Public records” do not, for example, include documents containing trade secrets, such as commercial or financial information regarding the operation of any business conducted by a company or other institution or regarding the competitive position of a company or other institution in a particular field. In the event that an applicant wishes to submit certain documents to the MLSC and believes such a document or documents may be proprietary in nature, the applicant should identify such materials in its application as Confidential. The MLSC’s General Counsel is the sole authority within the MLSC for making determinations on the applicability and/or assertion of an exemption to the Public Records Act.  All documents submitted by the applicant, whether designated as “Confidential Information” or not, are not returnable.     

General Conditions

Contractual Requirements
The Center intends to enter into an Agreement with the Awardees containing certain standard provisions. The Center reserves the right to amend the Agreement. Please be advised that this standard Agreement must be executed in substantially the form provided and the terms and conditions therein are non-negotiable.     

Waiver Authority  
The Center reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to waive minor irregularities in submittal requirements, to request modifications of the application, to accept or reject any or all applications received, and/or to cancel all or part of this solicitation at any time prior to awards.   

Disclaimer: This solicitation does not commit the Center to award any funds, pay any costs incurred in preparing an application, or procure or contract for services or supplies. The Center reserves the right to accept or reject any or all applications received, negotiate with all qualified Applicants, cancel or modify the solicitation in part or in its entirety, or change the application guidelines, when it is in its best interests. An application does not constitute an award.  

Changes/Amendments to Program 
This solicitation has been distributed electronically using the Center’s website. It is the responsibility of Applicants to check the Center’s website for any addenda or modifications to the program to which they intend to apply. The Center, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and its subdivisions accept no liability and will provide no accommodation to Applicants who submit an application based on an out-of-date solicitation.

Core competencies represent the minimum requirements for a Pathmaker-approved training program. The Pathmaker Core Competency Checklist defines the areas that must be included in a proposed curriculum, with specific examples in italics of focus areas that may be included to satisfy that required area. There are distinct core competencies identified for the PathmakerBIO and PathmakerTECH tracks. In response to industry needs, training providers may also propose new tracks through the PathmakerOPEN track.

For Fund-seeking Organizations
MLSC program staff will coordinate a site visit to review the program at a mutually agreed upon time once the training program is fully operational. Applications for funding based on submission for the “open” track for roles beyond biomanufacturing and medtech manufacturing will still include a site visit potential Pathmaker certification.

For Non-fund-seeking Organizations
Training providers that are running existing programs of any length that still satisfy the Pathmaker Core Competencies should apply for Pathmaker validation through a simplified online application. The MLSC will review these applications as they are received and coordinate a site visit to process approval. Pathmaker-validated programs will be marketed to life science companies in the Commonwealth and beyond through the MLSC website including an interactive map and training provider listing.

PathmakerBIO

This track offers a comprehensive introduction to the field of biomanufacturing. It covers various applications of biotechnology and includes a practical laboratory component that equips students with the necessary skills for pursuing various related roles such as a biomanufacturing technician or biomanufacturing associate.

General Competencies

• Career track options
  • examples include: example positions, average wages, company info, potential career paths
• Basic professional skills
  • examples include: soft skills, computer literacy, meeting etiquette, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, resume/interview, time management, 5S /lean production

Role Specific Competencies

• Good Documentation Practices
  • examples include: following standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Lab math
  • examples include: unit conversion, dilution, molarity, calculations
• Clean room/sterilization
  • examples include: gowning, equipment sterilization, autoclave, filtration, sterile welding
• Culture techniques
  • examples include: cell, bacterial, yeast, freeze/thaw, passaging, media prep, aseptic technique
• Overview of assays and protein purification
  • examples include: HPLC, MALDI-TOF MS, microscopy, cell lysate, AKTA, TFF, separation, detection, quantification of proteins, SDS-PAGE gels, Western blot, ELISA, PCR, UV-vis spectrophotometry, centrifugation, pH measurement
• Overview of product classes
  • examples include: cell and gene therapy, biopharmaceuticals, mRNA, vaccine production
• Quality and Regulatory
  • examples include: cGMP, critical quality attributes, critical process parameters, efficacy, safety, environmental monitoring
• Equipment and process
  • examples include: bioreactor function, basic process monitoring, feedback, and control loop systems

Optional Company-specific

• Examples include: Fermentation, mixing and aeration, yield and productivity, DNA isolation, validation, or other core skills deemed necessary by a partner employer

PathmakerTECH

This track focuses on preparing students for careers in the manufacturing industry by providing them with hands-on training in essential technical skills. Students will utilize cutting-edge technology to design and manufacture a wide range of products. Career examples include manufacturing technician and maintenance technician.

General Competencies

• Career track options
  • examples include: example positions, average wages, company info, potential career paths
• Basic professional skills
  • examples include: soft skills, computer literacy, meeting etiquette, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, resume/interview, time management, 5S / Lean production

Role Specific Competencies

• Good Documentation Practices
  • examples include: following standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Clean room/sterilization
  • examples include: gowning, equipment sterilization
• Quality and Regulatory
  • examples include: statistical process control. cGMP, health and safety, OSHA
• Components and materials
  • examples include: sensors, basic metallurgy, ceramics
• Automation and processes
  • examples include: robotics, technical drawings, basic electricity, electronics, mechanics, electromechanical assembly

Optional Company-Specific

• Examples include: geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, 3D printing, other core skills deemed necessary by a partner employer

For your convenience, we have created a Core Competency Checklist printable PDF.

Massachusetts has hundreds of life science training providers including universities, colleges, community colleges, vocational schools, and nonprofits. The interactive map below shows locations as well as contact information and details about each organization’s program offerings, cohort sizes, and collaboration opportunities.

Use the ‘Filter’ option in the top left corner of the map to filter map locations based on: community colleges, nonprofits, 4-year academic institutions, and vocational and technical schools.

For any questions, updates, or concerns on the Workforce Roadmap, please contact Vidhartha Deonarain, Director of Economic Development and Workforce Partnerships at VDeonarain@masslifesciences.com.