University Innovation Programs Summit

National Collegiate Inventors And Innovators Alliance, Hadley MA

Investigators

Abstract

Interest in entrepreneurship and technology commercialization within U.S. colleges and universities has grown in recent years, especially as related to scientific and technological discoveries. Higher education institutions have developed numerous programs and infrastructure to help faculty explore and realize the potential commercialization of their research. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and other federal programs along with private foundations and nonprofit organizations have supported efforts that strengthen the higher education entrepreneurial ecosystem and increasing commercialization of research. The US government invests $148 billion annually in basic research, more than any other country. While significant successes have resulted from this investment, a much greater opportunity exists to fully capitalize on this investment for the benefit of society. For university research to achieve greater impact, academic researchers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics need opportunities to learn how to evaluate whether their research discoveries have potential for commercialization. For this reason, many organizations and universities have developed programs designed to accelerate the commercialization of university research. The proposed summit will bring together university leaders and researchers who seek to strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems on their respective campuses and in the broader community. The meeting will provide opportunities for these faculty and institutional leaders to learn more about emerging programs and new resources that can help advance their institutional goals. The summit participants will have the opportunity to learn about relevant services, resources and programs such as I-Corps, SBIR and PFI through discussion of successful program models that have emerged from these programs. NCIIA and the conference presenters will share the results of research on university technology entrepreneurship, and engage participants in discussion about how to develop new programming that supports the commercialization of funded research. Participants will be provided information about funding, training and networking opportunities and have the opportunity to discuss emerging needs and approaches to addressing them. Both the emerging needs and the solutions that emerge from these discussions will be captured and summarized in a white paper and video for dissemination. The summit is designed to increase participation in programs and networks supporting entrepreneurship education and commercialization. This will, in turn, increase the likelihood that commercializable research will emerge from U.S. colleges and universities, ideally leading to commercialization through translation and the creation of new ventures that evolve into viable businesses.