The Patents2Products program is open to PhD candidates and postdocs with outstanding potential as future STEM leaders. Applications will be evaluated on the basis of two review criteria: intellectual merit and broader impact.

Selected participants will use their research skills and experience to advance intellectual property developed at the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) from early-stage, proof-of-concept prototypes in the lab into minimum viable products toward commercialization.

If you are a PhD student that has not completed a candidacy exam please elaborate about your current status in the program (i.e., course load, % effort dedication to research per week, etc.) and other relevant details the review panel should be aware of.

Individuals that are supported through other funding mechanisms during the duration of this fellowship. If you currently have funding support, you are encouraged to apply, however if selected for the program you will need to ensure you only have one funding source of support at the time of award.

Yes, you are encouraged to apply! Hiring will be conducted in collaboration with the faculty sponsor and their unit (i.e., College of Engineering, John. A. Burns School of Medicine, Hawai‘i Natural Energy Institute, etc.) to facilitate the onboarding process.

Before submitting a fellowship application, the applicant must identify a faculty who will serve as a sponsor (known as the faculty sponsor) and supervise the training and research experience throughout the duration of the program. The applicant’s faculty sponsor should be an active investigator in the area of the proposed research. The applicant should work with the faculty sponsor in preparing the application.

Following receipt of the faculty sponsor letter of intent (LOI), potential fellows will be provided with instructions to submit an application.

Please contact patents2products@hawaii.edu if you are interested in more information on how to become a mentor or advisor to Patents2Products fellows.

Patents2Products Fellows will have access to:

• Funding & Resources
  • 1-year paid position
  • Research supplies stipend
  • Access to lab facilities and specialized equipment
  • Future funding and venture opportunities
• Education & Training 
  • Lean Startup education,
  • Intellectual Property training
  • Technology transfer guidance
  • Professional development workshops
• Mentorship & Network
  • Industry mentorship from subject matter experts
  • Ongoing coaching sessions
  • Corporate partners, mentors, advisors
  • R&D collaboration opportunities

Patents2Products Fellows will gain:

• Business fluency to broaden their academic training
• Professional experience developing business models to advance technologies
• Expanded network of local and global partners, mentors and advisors

Faculty sponsors will gain:

• Technically trained personnel to support their research impact
• Additional funding and resources to advance their technology development
• Collaboration and partnership opportunities

Patents2Products fellows will be in a paid position at the University of Hawaii. Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

STEP 1: Candidates that are interested must first identify a UH faculty sponsor to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) before gaining access to the  application process. A collaborating faculty sponsor LOI submission is required to apply. Please include:

• Faculty sponsor’s name, title, unit/department and research area information
• Proposed title
• Synopsis describing the proposed work in sufficient detail to permit an appropriate selection of reviewers
• Describe your research environment
  • Identify currently existing laboratory facilities, state of the art equipment, and resources directly applicable to the proposed work
  • Indicate current trainees and capacity to support your Patents2Products fellow

STEP 2: Upon receipt and acceptance of your LOI, Patents2Products candidates will be invited to apply for the program. Full application requirements include:

1. CV
2. Personal Statement (up to 2 pages)
3. Reference letters (3 including one from a faculty sponsor)
4. Unofficial transcript
5. Research proposal (up to 3 pages)

For more details about the application process, click here.

APPLY NOW

A Letter of Intent, which is required to apply, is due by Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. The full application, which must be completed by both the program applicant and a faculty sponsor, is due by May 15, 2023.

For more information, email patents2products@hawaii.edu or call the Office of Innovation and Commercialization at (808) 956-9024.

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