Faculty scientists at IU are at the leading edge of new discoveries, addressing such issues as human health, the environment, new therapeutic interventions, and software solutions. However, our faculty scientists are not always sufficiently aware of how their research can lead to new economic opportunities and innovation pipelines. The focus of the Faculty Innovation Ambassadors (FIA) Program is to prepare faculty to identify and cultivate these opportunities necessary for necessary for reaching IU 2030 Goals in innovation. This program will provide faculty with peer-delivered access to information and assistance related to innovation and commercialization on campus.
Faculty Ambassadors will develop a community of practice to promote translation of faculty research and will become a direct resource to their colleagues as a trusted source to navigate understanding translational activities related to intellectual property development. ICO intends to provide guidance and training to these faculty scientists by providing them with an understanding of how basic science and technology is assessed and developed into commercial products and innovations. This will be accomplished by providing workshop intensives on topics directly related to intellectual property assessment, development, management, evaluation, and commercialization. The FIA Program is conceived as a 1-year program with continued faculty alumni engagement for shared learning and continuing education. In addition, Faculty Ambassadors will receive a $8,000 administrative stipend.
ICO will provide guidance and training to faculty scientists by providing them with an understanding of how basic science and technology is developed into commercial products and innovations. Our FIA Program to promote an understanding of Innovation and Commercialization will be comprised of four facets:
This program will be launched through a series of intensive workshops. The workshops will be co-taught by a team consisting of ICO staff and guest lecturers (or technical expert such as a patent attorney) with a focus on intellectual property, commercialization, entrepreneurism and economic development. We anticipate bringing in guest lecturers with specific experience in areas such as intellectual property, business strategy, venture creation, and early-stage funding. These workshops will highlight the overview of the processes, outline expectations for each component, highlight the benefits of available resources, connect concepts to university wide metrics, and provide an overview of the broader ecosystem.
The workshops will address:
Introduction to technology transfer (Tech Transfer 101)
Intellectual Property (IP) development, patents, copyrights, and trade secrets
IP and COIC Policies and processes
Commercialization evaluation, stage gate process, and market evaluation
Industry Partnering and Startups
Faculty Ambassadors will be provided exclusive opportunities to join ICO and IUR staff to participate in community events and networking opportunities. These engagement events will provide faculty to increase their external networks, broaden their understanding of the innovation ecosystem, and increase their probability to identify opportunities to support and further their research. ICO and IUR staff will facilitate introductions to community members to facility developing connections and relationship building with local industry partners.
Faculty Ambassadors will be expected to present brief updates at monthly department level meetings on selected topics. These brief presentations will be co-developed with ICO staff to provide high-level updates, guidance, and communication of upcoming opportunities for faculty. Faculty Ambassadors will provide ICO with feedback from faculty on topics of interest.
ICO will plan and execute biannual half day Ambassador Summits for all current and previous Ambassadors. This will allow for ongoing engagement and continuing education of topics of interest. This will also provide a platform for group level feedback to ICO on the Program and provide the opportunity for Ambassador to present shared learnings.
Interested faculty should have approval from their chair before applying.
How can you apply?
If you are interested in applying for this program, please fill out this short questionnaire and send your resume to ico@iu.edu by December 6th, 2024 to be considered.
