Changes

The Innovation Fund - awards grants and invests in promising technologies and start<span style="font-ups created by University of Chicago faculty, studentsfamily:tahoma, and staff with high potential for societal and commercial impactgeneva, helping them to bridge the gap between basic research funding and commercial investment. UChicagoTech launched the Innovation Fund in 2010 to accelerate the commercialization of promising, earlysans-stage University serif;">The following are some of Chicago research discoveries. It is now managed by the Chicago Innovation Exchange in partnership with the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation resources and programs that UChicagoTech, Center for Technology Development & Ventures. Learn moreoffers to faculty</span>

Chicago <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">The Innovation Mentors Fund - matches earlyawards grants and invests in promising technologies and start-stage science commercialization projects with an elite network ups created by University of business and translational experts willing to volunteer as mentors. The program is modeled onChicago faculty, students, and implemented in collaboration staff withhigh potential for societal and commercial impact, MIT’s Venture Mentor Servicehelping them to bridge the gap between basic research funding and commercial investment. As UChicagoTech launched the Innovation Fund in 2010 to accelerate the commercialization of Spring 2013promising, CIM has over 150 mentors mentoring almost 60 projects. Coearly-founders with UChicago include Northwestern University, the stage University of Illinois, and the Illinois Biotechnology Industry Organization Institute. Argonne National Lab recently joined as a founding institution. Support also comes from the Chicago Biomedical Consortiumresearch discoveries. CIM’s primary focus to date has been healthcare ventures, but it It is now expanding into materials, cleantech, and computing and is becoming managed by the Chicago Innovation Exchange in partnership with the go-to organization Polsky Center for early stage academic research-intensive venture origination. See Chicago Entrepreneurship & Innovation Mentors and UChicagoTech, Center for Technology Development & Ventures. Learn more information.</span>

Executives<span style="font-infamily:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Chicago Innovation Mentors -Residence matches early- brings accomplished technology entrepreneurs stage science commercialization projects with an elite network of business and executives translational experts willing to volunteer as mentors. The program is modeled on, and implemented in collaboration with, MIT’s Venture Mentor Service. As of Spring 2013, CIM has over 150 mentors mentoring almost 60 projects. Co-founders with UChicago include Northwestern University, the University on an extended basis of Illinois, and the Illinois Biotechnology Industry Organization Institute. Argonne National Lab recently joined as a founding institution. Support also comes from the Chicago Biomedical Consortium. CIM’s primary focus to meet with facultydate has been healthcare ventures, but it is now expanding into materials, identify opportunitiescleantech, and build projectscomputing and is becoming the go-to organization for early stage academic research-intensive venture origination. See some of the EIRs involved on UChicagoTech Team pageChicago Innovation Mentors for more information.</span>

UChicagoTech / Booth Links <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Executives-in-Residence - provide very complimentary skillsets at brings accomplished technology entrepreneurs and executives to the University of Chicago and work closely togetheron an extended basis to meet with faculty, identify opportunities, regularly cross-referring and collaborating build projects. See some of the EIRs involved on each other’s and joint programsUChicagoTech Team page. These include:</span>

Innovation Workshop Speaker Series <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">UChicagoTech / Booth Links - successful entrepreneurs and innovators address faculty and students. The intent is to provide researchers very complimentary skillsets at the University of Chicago and students with a business perspective, raise awareness of commercial possibilitieswork closely together, regularly cross-referring and collaborating on each other’s and provide networking opportunities. See Innovation Workshop Series for more informationjoint programs.These include:</span>

New Venture Challenge <span style="font- launched in 1996family:tahoma, the Edward Lgeneva,sans-serif;">Innovation Workshop Speaker Series - successful entrepreneurs and innovators address faculty and students. KaplanThe intent is to provide researchers and students with a business perspective, '71, New Venture Challenge (NVC) is one raise awareness of the nation's premier business launch programscommercial possibilities, allowing students to act upon their entrepreneurial ideas within a supportive and highly rewarding environmentprovide networking opportunities. See Innovation Workshop Series for more information. </span>

D4Lab <span style="font- aims to bring together students and professionals from across campus to combine entrepreneurship education with humanfamily:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">New Venture Challenge -centered designlaunched in 1996, the Edward L. D4Lab offers workshops for Kaplan, '71, New Venture Challenge (NVC) is one of the University of Chicago at large nation's premier business launch programs, allowing students to act upon their entrepreneurial ideas within a supportive and fellowship opportunities for a select group of individuals interested in designing solutions for healthcare. See D4Lab for more informationhighly rewarding environment.</span>

<span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">D4Lab - aims to bring together students and professionals from across campus to combine entrepreneurship education with human-centered design. D4Lab offers workshops for the University of Chicago at large and fellowship opportunities for a select group of individuals interested in designing solutions for healthcare. See D4Lab for more information.</span> <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Student Engagement - MBA students and science PhD students and postdocs are increasingly participating in Innovation Fund proposals and Chicago Innovation Mentor projects. There are plans to launch a formal Innovation Fund Associates Program for students across campus, and jointly managed by UChicagoTech and the Polsky Center. A CIM Fellows Program, involving science PhD’s and postdocs assisting Chicago Innovation Mentors projects is growing rapidly. The Polsky Center and UChicagoTech are collaborating on a project to extend education programs in both science and general innovation and entrepreneurship across campus.</span> = <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Facilitating University-Industry Collaboration</span> = <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">In addition to providing faculty members and students with resources to translate their research to the market, UChicagoTech also plays a major role in facilitating university-industry collaboration through its connections with numerous companies. UChicagoTech facilitates the process of licensing university intellectual property to businesses and private-sector entitites.</span> <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">The Chicago Materials Research Center connects university faculty and students with private-sector entities that are interested in licensing university research or requesting consulting services from university members. To this end, the Materials Research Center runs several programs like the Management Lab, which exposes graduate students to industrial work by connecting them with Booth students and companies that are in need of technical and business assistance.</span> <font face="tahoma, geneva, sans-serif">The University's Office for Corporate Relations coordinates opportunitites for businesses to recruit, and conduct research and clinical with university faculty and students.</font> = <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Engaging with Regional and Local Economic Development Efforts</span> = <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">The University of Chicago recently opened up its Chicago Innovation Exchange to serve as a hub of innovation for not only students and faculty, but also members of the local community. The CIE provides resources and programming to community members who are interested in bringing their ideas to the market.</span> <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">The University also operates an initiative called UChicago Local, which fosters partnerships with businesses and job seekers in mid-South Side neighborhoods to opportunities at the University, the University of Chicago Medicine, and their vendor networks.</span> <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Local Hiring - the University of Chicago is the largest employer on the South Side of Chicago, with nearly 6,000 staff employees of the University and medical center living within seven zip codes near its campus. In fiscal 2014, those area residents accounted for about one-third of UChicago’s total staff. UChicago Local works to advance local hiring by supporting workforce development agencies in their efforts to match mid-South Side residents with jobs and prepare them for employment.</span> <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Opportunity Link - the University of Chicago has formed a referral partnership with 741 Collaborative Partnership, a nonprofit collaborative of 10 workforce development agencies, that will help link local residents working with any of 741’s partner agencies to job opportunities at the University, the Medical Center, and surrounding businesses.</span> <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Training for Local Workforce Development Agencies - UChicago Local provides workforce development practitioners with training and informational resources that prepare them to better serve mid-South Side job seekers.</span> <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">UChicago Procurement - through UChicago Local, the University and Medical Center are realigning normal purchasing activity to potentially transfer business to competitive local vendors and, as a result, have a greater impact in local communities. The initiative targets prospective businesses in eight categories: - Consulting and professional services - Plant and maintenance services - Food supplies, dining and social activities - Non-shop supplies and equipment - Transportation and livery services - Shop supplies and equipment - Equipment lease and rental - Space lease and rental</span> <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Capacity Building - in partnership with Chicago Anchors for a Strong Economy (CASE), UChicago Local provides training to help local companies grow their business to the next level by building capacity in core business skills.</span> <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">Business Showcase Events - through the UChicago Local initiative, the Office of Civic Engagement hosts or sponsors regular forums for mid-South Side businesses to showcase their products and services to UChicago and UChicago Medicine staff, faculty and students</span> <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">UChicago Local Newsletter - university faculty, staff and students receive direct information about discounts and promotions at local businesses through the monthly UChicago Local newsletter.</span> <span style="font-family:tahoma,geneva,sans-serif;">The University is committed to enhancing the quality of life in local neighborhoods, working with community-based organizations to improve the area’s housing, retail, parks, and public facilities. For example, they are working with the city and community groups to turn the 53rd Street retail district into a vibrant, mixed-use main street. To advance its goal to support a stronger mid-South Side, the University and University of Chicago Medical Center offer financial incentives for homebuyers and renters through an Employer-Assisted Housing Program, to encourage employees to live in the nine neighborhoods surrounding campus.</span>

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