April 18-19 workshop will acquaint researchers with commercialization process

4:37 p.m., April 5, 2011--Delaware EPSCoR and the Delaware Small Business and Technology Development Center (DSBTDC) are cosponsoring a free workshop titled “The Innovation Process: Science to Commercialization” on April 18–19, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute in Newark.

This workshop is recommended for any faculty member or researcher on campus who is interested in exploring commercial applications for their research.

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In addition to providing an overview of the innovation-to-commercialization process, with a panel of successful inventors sharing their first-hand experiences, the workshop will focus on the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. These and other federal programs designed to encourage innovation and economic development can be important in enabling the innovation process to move forward. There will also be time allotted during the workshop for one-on-one counseling for researchers who are wondering how to proceed with marketing their innovations.

“The excitement of developing a new product, service or process comes from seeing the scientific discovery translated into a commercial entity,” says Rich Chapas, the state program director of the Delaware Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). “In this workshop, we will provide a guide to this process, tackling the challenges of finding applications and markets, and where and how to fund the effort.”

The first day of the workshop includes an overview of the innovation process, a panel discussion from past Delaware SBIR award winners, and a discussion of the SBIR and STTR programs. The second day will begin with advice on preparing an SBIR commercialization plan; a review of SBIR budgeting, auditing and control; how to submit SBIR proposals via NSF’s Fast Lane submission process; and individual counseling. Lunch will be provided both days of the workshop.

Those interested in attending the workshop should request a registration form from Gary Simon, business analyst at the DSBTDC, by calling 302-831-0772 or sending email to simong@udel.edu.