UChicago Innovation Fund Now Accepting Applications for Spring 2015

Fund Open to Resident MBL Faculty

The University of Chicago has built an array of programs to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem that can help researchers navigate the path toward commercialization and overcome the hurdles to attracting investment. These programs include the Chicago Innovation Exchange, The New Venture Challenge, accelerator and incubator programs, and the University of Chicago Innovation Fund.

About the Innovation Fund

The Innovation Fund is a philanthropic proof-of-concept fund created to support the evolution of your ideas into products and services. The Fund has now been expanded to $20 million dollars and is open to current UChicago and affiliated lab faculty, staff, and students with technologies in a wide variety of industries.

Applications are due via electronic submission by Thursday, March 12th.

Eligibility

The Innovation Fund is intended to provide proof-of-concept funding for technologies / concepts which:

• are submitted by a current University of Chicago Principal Investigator, student, affiliate (including national labs), or their representative,
• possess the potential to have a substantial commercial impact but are too early to attract commercial investment,
• and cannot be funded through existing granting mechanisms.

It is not intended to fund research / activities that are not directly driving towards an externally validated business outcome.

Contact

If you have any questions, contact Jason Pariso, The Director of Operations (jpariso@uchicago.edu), or Wolfgang Connell, Chicago Innovation Exchange Program Manager (wolfgangc16@uchicago.edu).

— The Innovation Fund Team