Time is a limited resource, and we want our work to be transformative – not only for our clients and their products, but also for improving human health. With this in mind, we carefully select clients whose products or services are groundbreaking, devoting our time and expertise to projects with the greatest potential impact on research effectiveness and human health. Each year, federal agencies award more than $4 billion in research funding for small businesses through the SBIR and STTR programs. Competition for this funding is intense, and tens of thousands of potentially great products fail to break through.
Because our success rate is one of the best in the industry, we feel we have an ethical responsibility to support products that a) address a significant unmet need and b) have substantial impacts that are worthy of diverting federal investment away from other products. In practice, this means that before we decide to work with a client, we evaluate several things:
- Prevalence and severity of the condition that the product addresses or the significance of the research barrier that the product addresses
- Potential impact of the product compared to other products already on the market and other products nearing market entry
- Likelihood the product will make it to market and the timeline to market entry considering both scientific and commercial barriers
- Company need for government funding to advance product development
- Company ability to complete the product development and achieve market entry
By evaluating these factors before we decide to work with a client, we ensure that we devote our time and expertise to the projects that matter most to society.
We value transparency and honesty above all else, and we employ a no-nonsense approach to business in general. When you work with us, you will experience our integrity, hard work, and dedication to each project and to your business goals. We strive to give every client a tailored experience so that you receive what you need to be successful.
If you are developing a high-impact product and want DeBusk & Fife to help you tailor your product development pathway and/or secure non-dilutive funding to advance its development, contact us today!
Our Management Team
Julie L Fife, PhD
Managing Partner
Julie is passionate about supporting small businesses and providing meaningful, quality service to her clients. She has more than 15 years of domestic and international experience in various materials science, imaging, and healthcare-related fields, and since 2018, she has dedicated her time to helping healthcare-focused, US-based small businesses secure more than $100M in SBIR and other non-dilutive funding.
Julie excels in identifying projects that could be competitive for funding, as well as finding the appropriate opportunities for them. She critically thinks through the bigger picture of product development and commercialization, and knows how to ask the right questions. Julie’s meticulous attention to detail is a vital asset in navigating the complex process of securing federal funding.
Julie previously worked as a Civilian Employee for the US Army, and she led teams of international researchers and industrial clients as a Technical Program Manager and Scientist at the Paul Scherrer Institut in Switzerland. She is lead or co-author on more than 50 publications and holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University.
Originally from New Mexico, Julie now lives in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina with her husband, two children, two cats, and a dog. She loves cooking (and eating) good food, traveling and experiencing new cultures, and just generally being outdoors.
Bryan DeBusk, PhD
Managing Partner
Bryan has devoted his career to advancing scientific research and improving human health through teaching and grant writing. Prior to becoming a full-time grant consultant, Bryan conducted basic research and taught genetics, cell and molecular biology, pharmacology, and immunology to future clinicians and researchers at a private liberal arts university. This breadth of experience, coupled with a love of teaching through storytelling, provided a strong foundation for translating dry data and product development plans into compelling narratives and rigorous research. Since 2009, he has helped small businesses and academic researchers secure more than $650M in grant and contract funding.
Bryan excels at identifying and telling the right story to generate reviewer enthusiasm for clients’ innovative drugs, diagnostics, and devices. He is adept at anticipating reviewer concerns and advising clients on the types of data, advisors, and commercial and regulatory strategies they should employ to achieve grant seeking and commercial success.
Bryan holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Mississippi where he benefited from broad training in molecular methods and field techniques in affiliation with NSF-, EPA-, NIH-, and USDA-funded research programs and the National Center for Natural Products Research. He served as an Assistant Professor of Biology in Arkansas before becoming a full-time grant consultant in 2008.
Originally from Arkansas, Bryan now lives near Boulder, Colorado with his wife, four children, two dogs, a cat, and a rarely-seen corn snake. He loves hiking, backpacking, trying new recipes, and traveling with his family to off-the-beaten-path destinations in the US and abroad.
DeBusk & Fife 