Springboard and the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) are excited to announce that the Chancellor's Innovation Fund (CIF) is now accepting proposals for the 2012 funding cycle. Established by Chancellor Randy Woodson in 2010, the fund serves as a development resource to assist faculty, staff, and students with additional proof-of-concept research or technology/product development needed to strengthen the commercial potential of unlicensed intellectual property disclosed to the OTT. The CIF's primary objective is to support short-term (one year or less) projects that will enhance the commercial value of NC State's intellectual property assets.
CIF support is designed to provide an individual technology portfolio up to a maximum of $75,000 in funding. Undergraduate student projects are eligible to receive a maximum of $25,000 in funding. Awarded funds are to be used to reduce inventions to practice, provide critical additional data, conduct market research, or develop prototypes - all activities that will make the technology more marketable. Anticipated outcomes include the licensing of inventions to an existing company or the launch of a new NC State startup company.
The submission deadline for proposals is February 17, 2012. The associated invention disclosure form must be received on or before December 16, 2011 (failure to submit an invention disclosure by this deadline will result in an ineligible proposal). A total of $350,000 is available in fiscal year 2012 and we anticipate making approximately six (6) awards during this funding cycle. For additional details related to eligibility, proposal process, criteria, and submission, please visit www.ncsu.edu/ott/cif.html.
Sincerely,
Billy Houghteling
Executive Director
Office of Technology Transfer
billy_houghteling@ncsu.edu
