Does your new device have the potential to thrive in the commercial marketplace? We invite BRAIN Initiative investigators to apply for an online course designed to provide neurotechnology innovators with the business knowledge and tools to translate devices from the lab to the market.
Many of the novel tools and technologies emerging from the BRAIN Initiative hold great promise in the commercial marketplace. But navigating commercialization and market needs can be challenging. The e-C3i course is a newly launched online entrepreneurial education platform run by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) aimed to help innovators business approaches to assess the commercial value of their promising technologies.
Participants in the course will learn an initial set of core skills that will allow them to:
- Characterize the unmet market need
- Identify the key product attributes
- Conduct customer and stakeholder interviews
- Validate the business opportunity
The 10-week course will take place from June 21 to September 2, 2021. Participating teams will be guided through a series of self-learning online modules on pressure-testing commercial viability of ideas using business criteria and unique requirements of medical device commercialization. Participants will also work with expert business advisors in the medical device industry and present their findings throughout the course.
The course is offered to NIH-funded research projects funded by participating NIH Institutes and Centers, with additional openings available for those with active BRAIN Initiative awards. Participating project teams should consist of at least two members: 1) inventor or technical lead; and 2) graduate student or post-doctoral researcher involved in the project. The inventor or technical lead should be the PI/PD for the parent award project or co-investigator.
All costs associated with the program are covered. This year, 12 BRAIN-funded project teams will be selected. Project teams that complete the e-C3i course may be eligible to continue onto the core C3i Program for in-depth entrepreneurial training and business support to bring their neurotechnologies to market. To learn more about eligibility, course details, and how to apply please visit the e-C3i course webpage.
Applications are due May 25, 2021. To apply, please submit an application form via email to your Institute or Center contact. If you are a BRAIN-funded investigator, please contact your program officer for more information about the course before applying. The application can be found here.