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Knoxville Business News Tennessee Mountain Scenery Background
January 31, 2023 | Tom Ballard

Calling all grad students, Ph.D. candidates and post-docs

The "2023 Scipreneur Challenge" from the BioTN Academic Alliance kicks off February 23.

The Academic Alliance of BioTN has announced that its statewide “2023 Scipreneur Challenge” will be returning next month.

The 10-week, entrepreneurship-based program engages students in developing commercialization plans for untapped intellectual property (IP). It is a key part of the Alliance’s overall workforce development focus that offers graduate students, Ph.D. candidates and post-doctoral researchers attending a Tennessee-based academic institution the opportunity to network, career develop, expand skills and knowledge, and idea share through events and programs. Academic Alliance members also help produce annual entrepreneurship events

The “Scipreneur Challenge” kicks off February 23 with a Q&A session for all prospective participants followed by an “IP Parade” on March 2 where teams will learn about available intellectual property and select something on which they want to work. Eligibility includes these requirements:

  • Participants must be university students or postdoctoral fellows in Tennessee;
  • Participants will be assigned to a team of 4 to 6 members; and
  • Each commercialization plan must have a biotech or biotech-related idea.

Over the remaining weeks, the teams are tasked with completing a commercialization plan, business proforma, investor pitch, and final pitch to investor. Demo day is April 27.

For more information on the program and how to apply, click here.



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