International Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Workshop 2019: Support for Participants including those from Underserved Groups in S&T

Brown University, Providence RI

Investigators

Abstract

A five-day Technology Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Workshop for domestic and international STEM researchers (graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, and junior faculty) to be held at Brown University in August 2019. The objective of the Workshop is to provide processes and frameworks to encourage researchers to engage in the commercialization of their research, through direct venture creation or engagement with companies. It includes assistance to researchers in understanding career choices, discussions of commercialization resources available to them, including those provided by the Federal government such as I-Corps and SBIR/STTR. The Workshop especially encourages the participation of individuals from under-represented groups in Science and Technology, with Workshop discussion topics focusing on under-representation challenges, and providing mentors and role models. In alignment with the NSF mission, it will increase the number of researchers who are focused on the creation of economic and social value from their research. The approach in the workshop is via the provision of tested tools, mental frameworks and processes for commercialization that are cognizant of the mindset of researchers. It has a limited experiential project component, with researchers utilizing the research from their own research groups to engage in: evaluating their research for unique capabilities; formulating product concepts; determining customer and user needs; and building a business case. The experiential components not only advance the early stage of commercialization but allow the researchers to imagine the full process. Significant time is devoted to discussion of topical issues, led by subject matter experts. Topics include: realities and challenges of representation in STEM research, and in commercialization processes, particularly technology entrepreneurship; career path options, and balancing fundamental research with appropriate attention to commercialization activities; resources available to support commercialization activities. Role models and mentors will engage with the participants. Faculty from US universities will participate in the Workshop to observe and evaluate the methods used in order to adapt for their own curricular use. Faculty will engage in discussions on this topic. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.