The Iowa Innovation Leadership Fellows Program is a year-long educational experience connecting graduate trainees with industry leaders, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs. The program introduces fellows to the policies, programs, resources, and factors that influence addressing society's unmet needs through healthcare innovation.
Topics include
- Resources for Innovation: Explore resources for faculty and trainees pursuing company formation or invention licensing.
- Balancing an Academic Career: Learn how to address unmet needs or contribute to others' ideas while managing academic responsibilities.
- Intellectual Property & Licensing: Understand Tech Transfer, the role of the University of Iowa Research Foundation, and engagement processes.
- Starting a Company: Examine real-world examples of successful and unsuccessful startups and why critical feedback is essential.
- Insights from Successful Entrepreneurs: Gain knowledge from case studies highlighting entrepreneurial successes and failures.
- Financing & Venture Capital: Understand how venture capitalists evaluate university-created intellectual property, founders, and startups.
- Biodesign Principles Training: Participate in didactic training sessions based on proven biodesign methodologies throughout the year.
Program Details
Graduate students, postdocs, residents, fellows, and medical students at the University of Iowa are invited to apply. Whether you are inspired to solve unmet needs in healthcare, wish to apply your skills to support an inventor trying to bring a product to market, make industry connections, or be an ambassador to your peers and colleagues interested in innovation, the Iowa Innovation Leadership Fellows program is for you.
- Fall Bootcamp: Two-day bootcamp in August with experienced entrepreneurs, renowned industry experts, venture capitalists, UI faculty and alums who have licensed technology or created and scaled successful companies.
- Winter Bootcamp: Two-day bootcamp in January with experienced entrepreneurs, renowned industry experts, venture capitalists, UI faculty and alums who have licensed technology or created and scaled successful companies.
- Monthly Sessions: Regular sessions focusing on different aspects of commercialization.
- Exclusive Events: Enjoy exclusive invitations to learn from visiting entrepreneurs, alumni, and industry executives
- Get connected. Fellows have opportunities to connect with experienced entrepreneurs, renowned industry experts, venture capitalists, and University of Iowa Faculty + alums who have licensed technology or created and scaled successful companies.
- Get inspired. Fellows get to meet with successful entrepreneurs and hear about their entrepreneurial journeys – from failures to successes, you’ll gain exposure to it all.
- Fellowship Stipend: $1,500 total, paid in 10 monthly installments (Sept-June).
- GAP Funding Opportunity: Fellows can apply for up to $10,000 in GAP funding to pursue solving an unmet need
- Mandatory Attendance: Attend the two-day bootcamps in August and January.
- Monthly Engagement: Participate in monthly sessions exploring different facets of commercialization.
- Advisory Council Participation: Serve on the Fellow's Advisory Council to the University of Iowa Chief Innovation Officer.
- Ambassadorship: Promote innovation among peers and colleagues.
Applications for the 2025-2026 cohort will open in April 2025. If you would like to be first to know when applications open, please fill out the form here.
Fellowship requirements
- Fall and Winter Bootcamps: Attend the two-day bootcamps in August and January.
- Monthly Engagement: Participate in monthly sessions exploring different facets of commercialization.
- Advisory Council Participation: Serve on the Fellow’s Advisory Council to the University of Iowa Chief Innovation Officer.
- Ambassadorship: Promote innovation among peers and colleagues.
How to apply
Applications for the 2025-2026 cohort will open in April 2025. If you would like to be first to know when applications open, please fill out the form here.
