Partnership Provides Opportunities to Broaden Research Impact

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A new program – the Science Venture Primer Partnership – has been created to help University of Arkansas faculty and graduate students increase the economic and social impact of their research and innovations. The partnership is a collaboration between the U of A Office of Economic Development, the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Startup Junkie, a Fayetteville company that offers support services to entrepreneurs.

The partnership will encompass a series of free seminars and one-on-one consulting for faculty and graduate students.

The program is designed to give researchers more resources to help them commercialize discoveries, obtain research funding or launch their own businesses. Information and services are offered by the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the Office of Industry Engagement, Technology Ventures, the Small Business and Technology Development Center and Startup Junkie.

“Universities play an important role in furthering invention and innovation and have a unique opportunity to bring their discoveries to market,” said Stacy Leeds, vice chancellor for economic development at the University of Arkansas. “We want to equip our faculty and graduate students with the tools they need to make transformative impacts on our society and economy.”

The series of seminars will encompass topics including industry partnerships, grant writing, small business funding, science communications, conflicts of interest and the patent process.  A full list of topics with registration is available on the program website.

Presenters will include Vice Chancellor Leeds; Sarah Goforth, director of outreach for the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Cynthia Sides, director of the Office of Industry Engagement; and Ellen Brune, senior entrepreneur in residence at Startup Junkie and the faculty liaison for economic development for the Science Venture Primer Partnership.

The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation oversees curriculum, training, and events for faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, including the New Venture Development program and graduate certificate in entrepreneurship, the Social Innovation Initiative and the NSF I-Corps summer program. OEI also offers coworking space and support through the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub, including “Hours with Experts,” an opportunity for faculty and students to meet with professionals in marketing, technology assessment, and accounting to support high-growth ventures.

 “Formal entrepreneurship education can be transformative,” said Carol Reeves, associate vice-chancellor for entrepreneurship and innovation. “But students and faculty don’t want to be limited by the academic calendar. The Science Venture Primer Partnership complements curriculum offerings and longstanding programs like the Arkansas Commercialization Retreat, allowing the university community to access training in the classroom, peer-to-peer, or on-demand.”

Brune will be available for one-on-one consulting with faculty and graduate students on campus or at Startup Junkie’s downtown Fayetteville office. Founder of Boston Mountain Biotech in Fayetteville, Brune has consulted with University of Arkansas faculty for five years, providing support for business strategy and development, research validation, commercialization studies and patent strategy.

“I launched Boston Mountain Biotech out of graduate school and wanted to support a program that helped other faculty and students explore opportunities to leverage their science expertise and apply it to the commercial world,” said Brune.

For more information, to register for the free seminars or to schedule a one-on-one consultation, visit the program website or email mmorpin@uark.edu.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.