University Lab Partners Launches Inaugural Founders’ Bench Award to Accelerate Ophthalmology Innovation
Bausch + Lomb joins as founding corporate partner; UCI’s Gavin Herbert Eye Institute serves as academic partner
University Lab Partners (ULP) today announced the launch of the Founders’ Bench Award, a new program that gives early-stage life science companies a funded wet-lab bench, expert mentoring and a clear path to their next critical milestone. The inaugural cycle, developed in partnership with Bausch + Lomb and with the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at UC Irvine as academic partner, is dedicated to ophthalmology.
Awardees receive a funded bench for six months at ULP’s professionally managed wet-lab facility in UCI Research Park, access to shared scientific equipment and customized coaching and mentoring from industry professionals — including Bausch + Lomb scientists and business leaders — and subject-matter experts in regulatory strategy, intellectual property, clinical development and finance. The program also provides fundraising-readiness support for both dilutive and non-dilutive capital, including NIH SBIR/STTR grants, and connections to UCI faculty, core facilities and talent through ULP’s UCI Resource Navigator. Awardees gather pivotal data and reach key development milestones without the cost of lab rent, working alongside peers and experienced mentors.
The award is open to pre-seed and seed-stage companies — founders, academic spinouts and corporate spinouts — with a Southern California nexus and a genuine wet-lab need. The inaugural cycle seeks novel solutions across eye health, including ocular drug delivery, therapeutics, cell and gene therapies, diagnostics and imaging, and surgical and digital technologies.
“Early-stage life science ventures need comprehensive support to de-risk their science and get across the valley of death,” said Ken Beall, Founder and CEO of University Lab Partners. “By combining no-cost lab resources with direct entry into Orange County’s world-class ophthalmology ecosystem, we are helping startups preserve critical capital, accelerate their commercialization efforts and grow into scalable, job-creating companies.”
A Regional Ecosystem Built for Ophthalmic Success
Orange County is one of the world’s leading ophthalmic clusters, and the Founders’ Bench Award brings its principal institutions to one table. Bausch + Lomb’s research and development leadership helped shape the program’s scientific priorities and will serve on the judging panel and mentor the awardee. The Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at UC Irvine, the award’s academic partner, anchors the program’s clinical and scientific standards and connects awardees to the university’s faculty, clinicians and trainees.
For Kelly Swaim, M.D., Senior Vice President of Surgical R&D at Bausch + Lomb, the program’s value lies in advancing breakthrough clinical concepts toward real-world application.
“Innovating in ophthalmology requires turning bold scientific ideas into practical clinical solutions,” Swaim said. “Supporting the Founders’ Bench allows us to engage with pioneering teams early and help bring transformative vision-care technologies to life.”
Mayssa Attar, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Head of Pharmaceutical and Consumer R&D at Bausch + Lomb, emphasized the impact of strategic guidance on commercial readiness.
“Translating complex therapeutics into viable treatments requires reaching critical data and regulatory milestones,” Attar said. “By offering strategic mentorship alongside funded lab resources, we are helping ensure promising ophthalmic programs get the support they need to de-risk key research and advance.”
The Judging Panel
Finalists will pitch to a panel of five of the most experienced figures in ophthalmic science, surgery and company-building:
- Mayssa Attar, Ph.D. — Senior Vice President and Head of Pharmaceutical and Consumer R&D, Bausch + Lomb
- Kelly Swaim, M.D. — Senior Vice President, Surgical R&D, Bausch + Lomb
- Baruch Kuppermann, M.D., Ph.D. — Steinert Endowed Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; Director, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, UC Irvine
- Steven Schwartz, M.D. — Retina specialist and serial ophthalmology founder; former Chief, Retina Division, UCLA Stein Eye Institute
- Jean-Pierre Hubschman, M.D. — Founder and CEO, Horizon Surgical Systems; former Professor of Ophthalmology, UCLA
Final selection rests with the ULP-convened panel under published criteria. ULP takes no equity and claims no intellectual property in any applicant or awardee, and partner participation confers no exclusivity or right of first refusal.
Program Details and Selection Timeline
The six-month program equips awardees with a funded wet-lab bench at ULP in UCI Research Park, shared equipment access, expert coaching and mentoring from industry veterans, NIH SBIR/STTR grant consulting, UCI resource connections and a Month 6 investor showcase — with no equity or IP taken.
Interested applicants are invited to attend an informational webinar on Thursday, November 12, to learn more about the program structure, selection criteria and application process.
Informational Webinar: Thursday, November 12, 2026 — register at luma.com/ulpteam-z4vh
Application Deadline: Monday, November 30, 2026
Pitch & Award Night: Tuesday, February 2, 2027, at University Lab Partners, Irvine
Learn More and Apply: universitylabpartners.org/foundersbench
About University Lab Partners
University Lab Partners (ULP) is an independent, nonprofit wet-lab incubator located at UCI Research Park in Irvine, California. ULP provides growing life science companies with state-of-the-art lab space, shared scientific equipment, business mentorship and educational programming designed to foster economic growth and biotech innovation across Southern California. For more information, visit universitylabpartners.org.
About Bausch + Lomb
Our mission is simple – we help people see better to live better, all over the world. For nearly two centuries we’ve evolved with the changing needs of patients and customers, and our commitment to innovation and improving the standard of care in eye health has never been stronger. From contact lenses to prescription products, over-the-counter options, surgical devices and more, we’re turning bold ideas into better outcomes through passion, perseverance and purpose. Learn more at www.bausch.com and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.
About the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute
The Gavin Herbert Eye Institute at UC Irvine is the academic eye center of UCI Health, combining patient care, vision research and the training of the next generation of ophthalmologists. Learn more at ophthalmology.uci.edu.
