Lito Rodriguez — Expert Grants Consultant for Biotech & Life Sciences

Nearly two decades of securing transformative funding for research institutions, biotech startups, and public health organizations — from NIH and SBIR to federal and foundation grants.

Work With Lito
About
Grantsmanship as a Career — Not a Side Project
A Practitioner Since 2005

Lito Rodriguez has spent nearly two decades at the intersection of science, strategy, and funding. His career began in public health — securing CDC funds for epidemiological studies and HRSA mechanisms for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. From there, he rose through the ranks of major research institutions, ultimately directing grant strategy at UNT Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Since 2019, Lito has focused his expertise on biotech startups across four countries and multiple U.S. states — helping early-stage companies unlock SBIR funding, navigate NIH systems, and align their technology roadmaps with federal grant cycles.

By the Numbers
A Track Record Built Over Two Decades
20+
Years of Experience

Practicing grantsmanship since 2005 across public health, academia, and biotech

4
Countries Served

Consulting with biotech startups across international markets since 2019

3
Major Research Institutions

UNT Health, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

$100M+
Funding Facilitated

Across federal, foundation, and corporate grant mechanisms throughout career

Core Services
What Lito Brings to Your Organization
Strategic Planning & Research

Identifies, vets, and prioritizes funding opportunities — foundations, government, and corporate — that are precisely aligned with your organization's mission and commercialization timeline.

Expert Proposal Writing

Develops compelling, tailored, and technically accurate grant proposals and budgets that meet every funder requirement and speak directly to reviewer priorities.

Project Management & Compliance

Manages complex, high-stakes application processes end-to-end — timelines, compliance checklists, submission logistics — with exceptional attention to detail.

Relationship Management

Cultivates productive relationships with NIH program officers, foundation staff, and donor networks to position your organization as a credible, fundable partner.

Biotech Startups
Built for the Speed and Stakes of Biotech


Lito understands that biotech founders don't have time to learn grant systems from scratch. Since 2019, he has served as a strategic funding partner for early-stage life science companies navigating the complex world of federal grants.

His biotech consultancy includes securing SBIR grants, connecting companies with the appropriate federal grant managers, and facilitating strategic introductions to NIH clinical trial networks. He coaches startups on aligning their technology roadmap with funding missions and grant cycles — so that every proposal lands with precision.

SBIR/STTR Grant Preparation

End-to-end proposal development for Phase I and Phase II federal small business grants

NIH Network Navigation

Direct introductions to NIH stroke clinical trial networks and program officers

Strategic Funding Alignment

Coaching on how to position your technology within federal funding priorities and grant cycles

Research Institutions
A Trusted Partner for Principal Investigators

For over a decade, Lito has been integral to the grant strategies of Principal Investigators at leading academic medical centers. His deep familiarity with the culture of research institutions — the pace, the politics, and the technical demands — makes him a uniquely effective partner for PIs navigating complex funding landscapes.

Funding Mechanism Matching

Aligns each PI's specific research aims with the most appropriate NIH study sections, funding mechanisms, and grant types — maximizing relevance and competitiveness.

Program Officer Connections

Facilitates direct introductions between PIs and NIH program managers for grant fit verification — a critical but often overlooked step that improves scores significantly.

Proposal Assembly & Compliance

Leads comprehensive proposal assembly across all required components, ensuring full compliance with sponsor requirements and institutional policies before submission.

Career Highlights
A Career Defined by Institutional Excellence
1
2005 — Public Health Beginnings

Career launched securing CDC epidemiological funds and HRSA HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment mechanisms

2
Dallas County HHS

Served as Grants Management Officer, overseeing federal funds application processes and monitoring for local agencies

3
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Senior Grants & Contract Specialist supporting Principal Investigators in population health research at one of the nation's top medical centers

4
UNT Health

Director of Research Development — integrating grants management with the emerging needs of biotech startups and academic spinouts

5
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Research Grants Specialist for the new Guerin Children's department, supporting pediatric research funding strategy in Los Angeles

6
2019 — Independent Consultancy

Launched independent practice serving biotech startups across four countries and multiple U.S. states with SBIR, NIH, and federal grant strategy

Community Leadership
Rooted in the Bioscience Ecosystem

Lito's influence extends beyond individual client engagements. As an active leader in the BioNTX community, he has helped shape the infrastructure that connects life science innovators with the resources they need to grow.

Tech Transfer Showcase Co-Founder

Co-founded the initiative at BioNTX to bridge academic innovations with market opportunities and commercial partners

Facilities Advisory Committee Lead

Led the BioNTX committee to align life science innovation pipelines with appropriate facility capabilities and infrastructure

BioNTX Summit Planning Committee

Served on the Summit committee, connecting bioscience community leaders across the North Texas life science ecosystem

COGR

Stays current on federal policy through COGR policy updates and research compliance guidance

NORDP

Active partnership with the National Organization of Research Development Professionals

ACT for NIH

Engaged with advocacy and education efforts supporting the NIH research funding community

Why Lito
The Competencies That Set Lito Apart
Deep Sector Knowledge

Rare fluency across public health, academic research, and biotech commercialization — Lito speaks the language of every funder and every founder.

Persuasive, Precise Writing

Grant proposals that are technically rigorous, strategically framed, and written to resonate with the specific priorities of each review panel or program officer.

Network & Relationships

Decades of cultivated relationships with NIH program officers, foundation staff, and research administrators — an invaluable asset that opens doors before a proposal is even submitted.

Compliance & Deadline Mastery

No missed deadlines, no compliance gaps. Lito manages every detail of the submission process so your team can focus on the science.

Capacity Building

Provides training and expert guidance to in-house teams, building lasting fundraising capability within your organization beyond any single engagement.

Tailored Client Strategy

Every client receives a customized funding strategy — built around your technology, your commercialization goals, and the gaps that grant funding can strategically fill.

Client Approach
Your Funding Strategy, Built Around Your Science
A Partnership, Not a Transaction

Every client journey begins the same way: Lito takes time to deeply understand your technology, your commercialization aims, and your organizational goals. From there, he identifies the funding gaps and designs a strategy that bridges them.

Whether you're a biotech startup preparing your first SBIR or a research institution managing a complex multi-PI portfolio, Lito brings the same level of rigor, responsiveness, and strategic insight to every engagement.

The result is not just a funded grant — it's a stronger, more sustainable organization with the relationships, systems, and strategic clarity to keep growing.

Ready to Secure Your Next Grant?

Whether you're navigating your first federal application or scaling a multi-year funding strategy, Lito Rodriguez brings the expertise, relationships, and precision execution to get you funded. Let's talk about your goals.

For Biotech Startups

SBIR/STTR strategy, NIH alignment, and federal grant navigation for early-stage life science companies

For Research Institutions

PI support, proposal development, program officer introductions, and compliance management

For Non-Profits

Foundation and government grant strategy, donor relationship cultivation, and organizational capacity building