54 karma · joined January 22, 2018
Sometimes we understand the biology after we discover a treatment.
You can think of this as a form of causal inference - "if this model is true, how well does it work with our current understanding (simulations) of physics?" type of questions. There are measures of error and bias that come with evaluation of these models.
As for timeline, you're able to apply for the Phase II to kick in right as the Phase I is ending. I've seen that work but it requires planning and long hours to perform research and write the next phase proposal. There's also direct to Phase II for ~$2m in one grant.
If you have outside responsibilities and don't want to risk that bridge, you could try and submit the direct to Phase II, which would also help develop your idea to pitch to VCs in clean-tech space.