The Office of Innovation at the University of Iowa provides a range of programs and services to spark creativity and drive impact. Through programs such as UI Ventures, ProtoStudios, Iowa MADE, and the Iowa Innovation Leadership Fellowship, the Office of Innovation drives impactful change, supporting faculty, staff, and students in transforming ideas into actionable solutions, fostering entrepreneurship, and cultivating leadership. These efforts empower the university community to innovate and make a meaningful difference.
Protostudios
Protostudios is a state-of-the-art rapid-prototyping facility that assists Iowa's entrepreneurs, inventors, startups, educational and medical faculty, staff, and students by converting napkin sketches to functional prototypes using the latest CAD design technologies and additive and subtractive processes in creating research and product idea.
UI Ventures is a service provided to the faculty, staff, and graduate students at the University of Iowa. We evaluate the need you have identified and how your technology addresses that need. We engage our vast network of industry experts to help assess market, team, and stage of development and move the best ideas from research to commercialization.
MADE provides Iowa's faculty, staff, and student employees with opportunities to innovate. Faculty and staff develop solutions for clinical needs, with MADE offering a streamlined path to market. University of Iowa students gain hands-on experience working in an on-campus medical device company.
Nurse Innovators
Nurse Innovators
The Nurse Innovators Program at the University of Iowa, led by UI Ventures and the Office of Innovation with MakerHealth, empowers nurses to develop healthcare solutions. It provides prototyping kits, guidance, and support to enhance patient safety and workflow. Mentorship and annual pitch competitions offer funding to bring nurse-led innovations to life, improving clinical outcomes in Iowa.
Iowa Innovation Leadership Fellowship
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.