This is a talk given to rising undergrad chemistry seniors attending a summer REU program at UMass Amherst funded by NSF in 2010. The talk is designed to make students aware of the impact they can have on the world by pursuing commercial translation opportunities.

1. Students: Be Relevant!
A completely irrelevant, but funny chemistry video to start this talk:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a45dXztokZM
Speaker: Humera Fasihuddin, NCIIA (www.nciia.org)
CURE REU Program 2010, NSF
Integrated Sciences Center
University of Massachusetts Amherst

2. Basic Research Translation
t 20 years

3. Basic Research Translation:
We need results sooner.
t 20 years
10
Our nation’s competitiveness is at stake.

4. Population Growth
% Growth
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Population_growth_rate_world.PNG
(Population growth rate, as listed on [http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/fields/2002.html CIA factbook]

5. Climate Change

6. Impact on all of Earth’s inhabitants

7. Population growth will have most
pronounced impact on world’s poor

8. % Population Living on <$2/day

9. Health Care Costs Spiraling
https://forms.house.gov/herger/issues_WMhealth.shtml

10. Obesity Epidemic, just one example
(common denominator to diabetes, heart disease, cardiovascular disease,
hypertension, kidney disease)

11. Big companies don’t have all the
answers

12. U.S. economies, jobs &
competitiveness at risk

13. Do something to help the world
today.

14. Invention vs. Innovation (Wikipedia)
• An invention is a new • The term innovation
configuration, means a new way of
composition of matter, doing something. It may
device, or process. Some refer to incremental,
inventions are based on radical, and
pre-existing models or revolutionary changes in
ideas. Other inventions thinking, products,
are radical processes, or
breakthroughs which organizations. A
may extend the distinction is typically
boundaries of human made between
knowledge or invention, an idea made
experience. manifest, and
innovation, ideas applied
successfully.
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15. Invention vs. Innovation (Humera)
• An invention is a new • The term innovation
thing. means it actually
changes the way
people do things.
“It don’t mean a thing
unless it has impact.”
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16. Where doesdoes research have relevance?
Where your your research have
relevance

17. Collegiate Innovators

18. Ecovative @ RPI
Green replacement for polystyrene

19. Rotovirus Vaccine @ Johns Hopkins
Vaccine on a ‘breathstrip’ enables developing
world vaccination without refrigeration 19

20. Whole Tree @ Baylor
Create green products commercial markets.
Indirectly alleviating poverty amongst coconut farmers across globe.

21. Liquidia and Micell @ UNC
Novel chemistry used for
gene therapy, drug delivery
& medical devices
Faculty lead, but many graduate students on team.

22. Ablitech @ Southern Miss
Polymers enabling targeted drug delivery
direct to cancerous tissue.

23. Natalie and Jeff Agar
@ Harvard and Brandeis
Enabling 3D high-res imaging
of in-tact tumor tissue using
Mass Spec

24. Redwood Biosciences
@ Berkeley
Faculty lead, but many
graduate students on team.
Lighting up sugars surrounding cells still in the body,
to deliver optimized novel biotherapies.

25. Advantages to Innovating in College
Bootstrapped Existence: no mortgage, car loans,
big student bills
Access: laboratories, professors, world thinkers,
conferences
Market: closeness and understanding of
Generation Y issues, ideals, interests
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26. OK, I’m Convinced. What’s next.
Market Pull Market Push
• Look for problems you • Look for problems solved by
want to solve your solution (or other’s)
• Think of all possible ways • Develop an intellectual
to solve that problem property strategy
• Pick one and work on it
• Develop an intellectual
property strategy

27. OK, I’m Convinced. What’s next.
• License to big company • Venture
• License to startup – Play a central role
– Play an advisory role
The key, often times,
is the Intellectual
Property strategy.

28. Factors for Success
If Graduate Track, value in If Job Market, cultivate venture
cultivating venture skills. skills to be most valuable to
Why? Attracting funding. Guiding hiring companies.
students. Use your undergraduate years to
How? cultivate venture skills.
– Find supportive research How?
advisor – Find off-the-shelf license or
– Find supportive institution new venture opportunity
– Cultivate relationship with tech – Build well-rounded team
transfer, et al – Articulate proposition
– Find good venture mentors – Raise funds
– Attract best and well-rounded – Develop value
team – Job, acquisition, learning, etc.
…keep your eye’s open to market
opportunities.

29. There are resources to help you…
• On Campus • Off Campus
–
–
Tech Transfer Office
School of Management
– SBIR/STTR
– School of Law funding
– Entrepreneurs in Residence – Angel Networks, Venture
– Business Plan Competitions Capitalists
– Seed Funds – Mentors and Advisors
– Regional Technology
Associations
– State Funds
– Other Campus Competitions
– NCIIA (funds, workshops,
competitions)

30. College Challenges NCIIA Resources
• Money • NCIIA Grants $20K
• Skills • NCIIA I2V Workshops
• Experience – Advanced
• Credibility – Introductory
• Network • NCIIA Mentoring
• NCIIA VentureWell
www.nciia.org
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31. Innovate.
10 years
t

32. Thank you. Q&A.
humera@nciia.org