course and program

Life Science Entrepreneurship Curriculum Expansion to Certificate Program

Whitman College

With help from a NCIIA Course and Program grant, UCSF has created two new classes, and expanded two others, to form a four-course, university-accredited Certificate Program in BioEntrepreneurship. Run by the Center for BioEntrepreneurship at UCSF, each course focuses on forming E-Teams to bring biomedical innovations to market. The new and expanded courses are part of a CBE-developed suite of programs directed at campus entrepreneurial audiences at all levels of experience. These include seminars, mentoring of E-Teams, student-run programs and community outreach programs.

Multidisciplinary Entrepreneurial Design

University of Miami

With the help of NCIIA funding the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology accelerated the development and implementation of a new three-course design sequence that prepares engineers and scientists for entrepreneurial careers. The sequence replaced the formerly offered single-discipline-focused senior design classes.

The first course in the sequence focuses on laying the foundations of business and technical topics; the second and third focus on team project work and the formation of E-Teams. Content includes lectures, discussions, hands-on activities, and case studies.

An appropriate faculty member or project engineer from Rose-Hulman Ventures mentors each E-Team. External advisors also support the teams.

Entrepreneurship: Concept to Commercialization

Clarkson University

This project supports the implementation of a comprehensive entrepreneurship development colloquium that develops E-Teams and serves students across all academic majors at Springfield Technical Community College (STCC). Throughout the colloquium, E-Teams of students, technology and business faculty, successful local entrepreneurs, and other advisors work collaboratively to develop new products and apply existing technologies to new ideas.

While the honors colloquium is nothing new at STCC, the proposed program would act as a vehicle to engage high achieving students from across academic divisions to pursue their entrepreneurial aspirations. The primary goal of the colloquium is to develop and implement a set of strategies that will nurture, promote, enhance, and support innovation, invention, and entrepreneurial enterprises among E-Team students through the use of courses, workshops, lectures, field trips, laboratory experiments, professional consultation and group dynamics. When the semester ends, E-Teams are further encouraged to pursue commercialization by advisors and supported by STCC resources

The Integrated Technology Ventures (ITV) Program

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

This project supports the University of Florida in creating the Integrated Technology Ventures (ITV) Program. The ITV Program aims to provide engineering and business students with an educational experience that closely mimics a true entrepreneurial environment. Students form virtual start-up companies led by actual CEOs. In addition to their product development, students complete research assignments, as well as attend supplemental lectures on entrepreneurial approaches and problem solving.

The ITV Program builds upon successful UF industry interaction model programs such as the Integrated Product and Process Design Program, the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Office of Technology and Licensing, and two university supported technology start-up incubator facilities.

Building a Curriculum in Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Technology Management at UMass Amherst

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

The University of Massachusetts Amherst is launching a new program in Technology Management, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (TIE). NCIIA funding sustains the first of a two-course foundation sequence for a three-year time span. The goal of the first course is to serve as an introduction to systematic innovation and entrepreneurial skill, thinking, and practice, providing a foundation of conceptual skills, technical content, and experiential understanding essential to effective innovation and entrepreneurship. The follow-up practicum course supports the development of E-Teams and provides core skill content such as business plan development, fundraising, and market research.

A key complementary component to the course is the student-run UMass Five College EntreClub, which was the prototype for the NCIIA publication “The EntreClub Handbook.”

Software Engineering & Entrepreneurship

Drexel University

This project supports Muhlenberg College in creating a new Software Engineering and Entrepreneurship (SE&E) course that enables students to learn more about invention, entrepreneurship, and software engineering. SE&E examines the ideas and techniques required to create computer-based systems that address real-world problems, and engage student teams in developing prototypes of such systems. E-Teams include students from the Biomedical Entrepreneurship course, depending on selected projects and student backgrounds. Each team develops a proof-of-concept or prototype, and an initial business plan. The entire class meets regularly for guest lectures, code reviews, presentations, and readings discussions.

Innovations in Architectural Infill

Hampshire College

NCIIA funding helped create one new class and two new workshops focusing on "architectural infill" at Carnegie Mellon. Architectural infill is the fine grain of architecture that students don’t often get the chance to imagine, research, or develop. The new additions are Architectural Infill I: Healing Devices, a semi-independent study course in which students research, develop, and test a narrow range of products previously explored in related classes; Architectural Infill II: Innovations in Architectural Casework, a workshop within an existing course that introduces students to human needs, human factors, perception, cognition, and specialized need design; and Architectural Infill III: American-Japanese Collaboration, a two-week collaboration that may be worked into the Carnegie Mellon Study Abroad Program. It aims to apply installations and designs that improve quality of life for people throughout the world.

University of Maine Entrepreneurship Program

Lehigh University

NCIIA funding spurred the development of an entrepreneurship program at the University of Maine, encouraging students to think innovatively toward new product development leading to commercialization. The program encourages inventive, innovative, and entrepreneurial initiatives by bringing together students from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds. Students from the Colleges of Business, Engineering, and the Sciences merge with existing entrepreneurs, researchers, and experts in business development and technology commercialization to develop new Maine companies.

The entrepreneurship program is initially offered as a special topics course, introducing students to entrepreneurship through weekly business seminars. The second semester offers a more in-depth and detailed seminar series, in which E-Teams form. Students who wish to continue the development of a business beyond the course are encouraged to participate in the activities of the Target Technology Incubator as affiliate members or Tenant companies.

Learning Innovation and Invention through Doing

Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

This project supports the incorporation of E-Teams into Franklin W. Olin's "Olin Hatchery," a resource center supporting student-initiated ventures on campus. E-Teams form early on, in the sophomore year, with the idea that the teams will continue their work through their junior and senior years