Read on for more about the DDQIC’s efforts to translate academic work to commercial success.
Invention to Innovation whitepaper reveals an urgent need to train researchers in commercialization:
The DDQIC recently worked with Mitacs and Invention to Innovation (i2I) to publish a whitepaper on their commercialization post-doctoral fellowship. The study identifies a need to train three types of scientists in research commercialization; industry champions, venture founders, and translational scientists. The fellowship is designed for STEM and health researchers with work exhibiting commercial potential and a strong likelihood of societal impact. The programming ladders into existing Mitacs training, focusing not only on the venture, but also the industry, and the scientist.
“i2I forces you to think about your research by taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture. It has a permanent influence on how I consider research. Now, whenever someone gives me a suggestion or an idea, I think first about where it is going to go. It is helping shape the entrepreneurial mindset that we’ve been talking about, and I found that super helpful.” - Mitacs Elevate Fellow, 2017-19
New Faculty Innovation Fellows Program Pilot:
The DDQIC facilitated the first faculty innovation fellows' program, which condenses the eight-month asynchronous i2I program into a one-week format for faculty members. The Pilot took place in the Donald Gordon Conference Centre in Kingston, Ontario, from May 13th-17th.
The inaugural faculty cohort came from a diverse range of schools and disciplines, including Western University, University of Waterloo, Simon Fraser University, University of Northern British Columbia, and Queen’s University. The cohort received lectures on topics ranging from artificial intelligence and biotech to financial literacy and business modelling. A huge thank you to Nancy Ross from VPR, Sarah Lubik from Simon Fraser University, Francesco Matteucci, an i2I alumnus, Andrew Park from Trinity Western University, Clay Braziller from Simon Fraser University, Fabiano Armellini from Polytechnique Montréal, as well as Greg Bavington and James McLellan, Directors of the DDQIC, for their valuable insights over the course of the week.
Entrepreneurship in Academia Ignition Café:
In partnership with Vice-Principal Research and the Resources for Researchers at Queen’s (R4R@Q), the DDQIC hosted our June Ignition Cafe, focusing on entrepreneurship in academia. The goal of the gathering was to demystify the challenges of entrepreneurship and encourage academics of all fields to blend entrepreneurship into their professional journeys. The first portion of the event was led by DDQIC directors James McLellan and Gregory Bavington, focusing on the innovator's mindset and use-inspired research. The second portion of the event was a panel where faculty members could share their personal innovation journeys. Thank you to Fabio Ynoe de Moraes, Joshua Marshal, Stephen Brown, and Anh Tran-Ly for your insights and participation.
CREATE grant for James McLellan’s PLASTICS programming:
Congratulations to DDQIC director James McLellan on receiving the NSERC CREATE grant from the Government of Canada. Queen’s is investing in new training programs for highly qualified students and postdoctoral fellows. James McLellan will be working on developing the PLASTICS program (Plastic Affordance through Science and Technology Innovation for Circular Solutions). The program will provide training and skills crucial to the clean biotech industry, laddering into Mitacs, Simon Fraser’s i2I, and DDQIC programming.
The Dunin-Deshpande ֱ Innovation Centre (DDQIC) is dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among students and the wider community. Through various programs and initiatives, DDQIC supports the development of entrepreneurial skills and provides resources for aspiring entrepreneurs to succeed.
For more information, visit the DDQIC Website.