Events

University researchers benefit from various technology licensing resources to protect their innovations, but startups face the challenge of safeguarding intellectual property (IP) developed outside of the university, through internal research and development. Join this free workshop to find out how to finance R&D, including through tokenizing the resultant IP assets, and how startup executives should manage the IP generated within their companies.

Greg Ray, an entrepreneur in residence for the Center for Regional Economic Advancement (CREA), will facilitate a panel with experts Brian Magierski, a serial software entrepreneur and the founder of 21 Impact Labs, and Katie E. Hyma, an IP lawyer specializing in biotechnology at Fish & Richardson.

Register here. Questions? Contact crea@cornell.edu. 

Over 10 weeks, Rev’s Prototyping Hardware Accelerator guides product teams to determine if their ideas are commercially desirable, technologically feasible, and economically viable. Upon completion of the program, participants are positioned to recruit team members, bring on partners, initiate work with contract manufacturers, and pitch to investors. Teams will receive a stipend of up to $2,000 to advance their prototype. 

Applications are now being accepted for all tracks of the Summer 2024 Prototyping Hardware Accelerator! The accelerator is held in person at Rev: Ithaca Startup Works in Ithaca, New York beginning in late May 2024. Early admission deadline February 16, 2024. Applications close March 25, 2024. To learn more, join one of the virtual info sessions by registering here. 

Starting companies out of universities is a complex endeavor, but startups can get a head start when done in conjunction with a company formation investor. In this webinar, we’ll hear from three company formation investors in the life sciences:

• Deborah Palestrant, Partner, 5AM Ventures and Executive Chair, 4:59 Initiative
• Jay Lichter, Managing Partner, Avalon BioVentures
• Vikram Chaudhery, Co-Founder, President & COO of General Inception

Each investor will describe their fund thesis, what they look for in opportunities arising from academic institutions, and the process of their company formation efforts. We’ll then move on to a series of questions on topics such as talent, sourcing possible investments, working with academics and academic institutions, growing the startup, and successes and failures. Register here. 

Please note that although the webinar is scheduled for one hour, our webinars often run overtime due to the volume of questions we receive; therefore we suggest holding up to an hour and a half on your calendars. We look forward to having you join us for this informational discussion!

Daiichi-Sankyo (DS), a well-known Japanese pharma, has initiated a  new innovation program related to ideas which may pave the way to drug discovery and development. DS is now soliciting and accepting brief, non-confidential pre-proposals for review. Successful proposals will be considered for a research collaboration with funding up to $230,000 (including overhead/indirect costs) and spanning between 1 - 3 years in duration that align with their priority scopes of interest (please see attached PDF above).   

If you are interested in exploring this opportunity, please send Deanna Scarcella (des4016@med.cornell.edu) a NON-CONFIDENTIAL one-page overview of the proposed research collaboration using the suggested format below.

Suggested format for one-page non-confidential overview:  

• Project title
• Introduction/Background
• Strategy/Method/Target/Modality
• Significance/Novelty/Uniqueness
• Publication
• One figure (optional) 

There is a rolling submission, so please send the pre-proposal by Thursday, February 1, 2024 for review by the CTL team who would be glad to assist you with the preparation of a competitive, successful pre-proposal and ensure the Daiichi-Sankyo due date of March 1, 2024 is met.

Ignite Connect is an opportunity to explore and engage with researchers and founders around their technologies and ventures emerging from Cornell University. This dynamic virtual experience aims to create connections and serves as a catalyst, bridging innovative technologies with resources and opportunities for meaningful impact. Join us for inspiring talks, interactive pitch sessions, and virtual one-on-one networking opportunities. Register here. 

In this month-long virtual course (February 26 - March 27, 2024), researchers working on a deep tech innovation “get out of your comfort zone” and talk with customers (virtually) to identify the best product-market fit.

You may apply with a team of 1-3 people. Teams may not split attendance between members. Please only include the members of your team that will be fully participating in the course. All team members are required to attend and participate fully in every course session and complete all coursework. Application Closes: Wednesday, January 31, 2024. Apply here. Questions? Contact icorps@cornell.edu. 

Does your startup harness cutting-edge technology as its core foundation, or leverage technology to enhance existing processes? Depending on your answer, you’ll encounter different strategies, market advantages, and challenges on your entrepreneurial journey. Learn how to shape your approach to business growth and development accordingly at this free workshop! 

Rob Gregor, the founder of Gregor Hotels and Executive Director of Cornell’s Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship, will lead the session and moderate a panel of entrepreneurs — Richard Valtr, founder of Mews Systems, Alex Zapesochny, CEO of Clerio Vision, Michael McHale, CEO of PSA Production Systems Automation, Skyler Logsdon, CEO of Boomerang Lost and Found, Grace McBridge, CEO and founder of Lucia, and Nina Kleaveland, CEO and founder of Lanyard. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from such a wide array of founders across industries!

Register here. Questions? Contact crea@cornell.edu. 

Critical Path Institute’s (C-Path) Translational Therapeutics Accelerator (TRxA) is proud to announce its 2024 global Request for Proposals for its Breakthrough Research and Innovation in Drug Development Grants (BRIDGe). These BRIDGe awards are designed to support academic researchers in traversing the drug development valley of death by funding and defining optimal strategies for advancing new, cutting-edge therapeutics from the lab to patients.

Join us on Tuesday, January 30th at 10 a.m. ET to learn more about TRXA and its 2024 funding opportunities. Content will include an overview of the types of projects TRxA funds, eligibility criteria for BRIDGe awards, and details about how to apply before the first submission deadline of March 31st, 2024. The webinar will conclude with a live Q&A.

Register here. 

Ono Pharma Foundation announces the start of the eighth year of the annual Breakthrough Science Initiative Awards Program (Ono Initiative) in the United States and Canada. Proposals from Principal Investigators will be considered for high-risk and high-reward science research projects which have the potential to lead to science discoveries/solutions and, based on further research, to breakthrough treatments for patients.  The  program information and  FAQ are attached. 

Target research of Chemical Biology is not specified by the Ono Initiative. For 2024, subjects of interest include but are not limited to below. Ono Pharma continues to welcome projects outside of these subjects.

• Modulating interactome and cell/tissue crosstalk with chemical induced proximity 
• Manipulating biomolecular condensates and protein quality control systems 
• Deep understanding and emerging applications of chemical glycobiology 
• New concepts of drug delivery and localization to tissue/cell/organelle   

 Each selected project/PI will receive: 

• Annual funding of $300,000/year for up to 3 years totalling a maximum of $900,000 for the normal term of a research project
• Up to an additional 15% ($45,000) per year of the funding to be used for indirect costs
• The total amount of the three-year grant would be up to $1,035,000

If you are interested in exploring this opportunity, please send Deanna Scarcella (des4016@med.cornell.edu) a NON-CONFIDENTIAL one-page overview of the proposed research collaboration for review by Mon, Jan 29, 2024. Institutions are allowed to nominate up to two researchers. We will ensure the project meets the Ono Pharma areas of interest and will notify the PI’s who are chosen to upload their submission to the Ono Pharma portal by the Thursday, February 15 due date.

Interested in how leading global product ideas begin? Want to learn about protecting intellectual property and competing in the global marketplace? Join us for a fireside chat with Kevin M. McGovern, Emeritus Member of the Board of Trustees of Cornell University and co-founder in over 25 companies. Register here.