From Research Aims to Actionable Milestones: Planning, Tracking, and De-Risking Your Project

Event description

Presenter: Jaya Ghosh, PhD

Join us for a 60-minute Catalyze technical webinar with Jaya Ghosh focused on turning ambitious research and development goals into clear, executable plans. This session will help participants understand the difference between high-level research aims and actionable milestones, and how to translate scientific objectives into practical steps that move projects forward.

Jaya will share approaches for setting realistic milestones, tracking progress, and anticipating common challenges that can slow momentum. She will also discuss how to identify and mitigate risk early, recognize warning signs before they become larger setbacks, and use structured go/no-go decision points to guide pivots or make informed decisions to stop as evidence evolves.

Participants will leave with practical tools and strategies to strengthen project planning, improve decision-making, and keep complex R&D efforts on track.

About the Speaker:

Jaya Ghosh, PhD, is a program director and translational research leader with deep experience advancing biomedical innovations from early-stage research toward commercialization. She serves as Program Director of the Coulter Biomedical Accelerator and Co-Director for the Mizzou TecHub, where she oversees project selection, funding, milestone planning, entrepreneurial training, and de-risking strategies for a portfolio of academic technologies.

In her role, Jaya works closely with academic investigators and project teams to define development pathways, establish milestone-driven plans, and guide evidence-based decision-making throughout the translational process. She also contributes to training and mentorship through programs focused on commercialization and innovation, helping researchers move their work from the lab toward real-world impact.

Her combined expertise in engineering, translational science, and program management makes her well-positioned to support teams in setting actionable milestones, managing risk, and making informed go/no-go decisions as projects evolve.

Webinar presented on April 23, 2026 to an invited audience.

This video is provided for educational purposes only.

Download slides

Chapters

0:00
Introduction and Overview
1:40
Dr. Ghosh's presentation begins
3:54
Who This Talk is For
4:46
Why This Matters
6:00
How Translational Programs Think Differently
7:26
The Core Shift: Research vs. Translation
9:06
What a Milestone Is/Is Not
11:08
What Milestones Do
12:52
What Good Milestones Measure
14:36
Diagnostic Technology Example
18:32
Side-by-Side Comparison
20:30
Why Milestones Enable Project Management
22:23
Who is a Project Manager? What Do They Do?
25:50
External Interfaces PMs May Track
27:55
How a PM May Work with a Team
29:38
Common Applicant Pitfalls
31:03
Better Milestone Design Questions
31:47
Setting Realistic Milestones & Tracking Progress
32:27
Anticipating Challenges, Using Go/No-Go Decisions
33:43
Example: Weak vs. Strong Milestone (Therapeutic)
35:28
What Reviewers Often Want to See
36:39
R01 Thinking vs. Catalyze Thinking
37:29
If You’re Considering a PM Role
39:27
Leveraging Catalyze Support
41:21
Key Takeaways
43:35
Conclusion of presentation
44:34
Q&A
This research was, in part, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Agreement OT2 HL157844-01. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the NIH.