Training

Training Opportunities for Biomedical Innovators

There are many places where you can connect with others who can help you learn the process for innovating in healthcare. It’s challenging! Many innovations require FDA approval and that might mean clinical testing. Determining who the purchaser of the end product will be is also difficult because sometimes it’s the patient, but more often it’s their health plan or the hospital or clinic where they get their care. Here are some key programs to accelerate your learning journey.

 

 

 

CoMotion Innovation Training

A wealth of innovation training is easily accessible on the CoMotion Training page and on the CoMotion YouTube Channel. Announcements of events and workshops can be found on the events calendar page where you can sign up for alerts. The CoMotion NSF I-Corps Site Program is available to academics with NSF research funded innovations.

 

 

 

Institute of Translational Health Sciences

ITHS Technology Development Center offers expert input for academic biomedical innovators who are taking their innovations from discovery to clinical product. Constructive advice is offered through the ITHS Drug and Device Advisory Committee and consulting services based on individual team needs covers a full range of product areas including therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, digital health and care coordination tools.

 

 

Competitions and Programs for Student Innovators

Students will find many exciting ways to learn about entrepreneurship and biomedical innovation across campus and throughout the region. The UW Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship hosts the Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge every year where graduate and undergraduate students across the Pacific Northwest bring ideas for  medical devices, biotech products, and a range of other health and wellness innovations to compete for more than $35,000 in prizes. Teams often continue their journeys into the Dempsey Startup Competition which brings in 100+ teams each year. In eastern Washington and Idaho the Northwest Entrepreneur Competition showcases and awards impressive teams each year. University of Oregon hosts the New Venture Championship and draws teams from around the world.

 

NIH Small Business Resources

Even through these tough times, NIH continues to support research and development and the application of laboratory discoveries to solve our greatest healthcare challenges.

• Many NIH-supported researchers are changing their focus to meet the demand of COVID research.
• You may be conducting research in an academic environment or within a small business. Perhaps you’re in the beginning stages of converting your research into a therapy or cure. How do you ensure that your cutting-edge science is brought from bench to bedside and made available to those in need?
• In addition to supporting your science, NIH can help with the business and entrepreneurial activities that are necessary to convert your discovery into a therapy or cure.
• SEED (the NIH Small business Education and Entrepreneurial Development office) supports innovators in all stages: academics, new small businesses, and companies seeking capital to advance their technology to the next stage. We are experienced life science executives with expertise in converting research to products, entrepreneurship, and raising private funding.
• NIH supports a national network of proof-of-concept centers (including WE-REACH at UW serving the Pacific Northwest) that links over 100 academic institutions developing best practices to translate biomedical innovations into public benefit. The NIH Centers for Accelerated Innovations (NCAI), Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hubs (REACH), and the STTR Regional Technology Transfer Accelerator Hubs for IDeA States support projects at the earliest stage of development from research scientists and provide entrepreneurial training and product development guidance, all meant to speed up the translation of these discoveries into commercially viable diagnostics, devices, therapeutics, and tools to improve patient care and enhance health.