Translating Medical Device Discoveries to the Bedside: The Academic Entrepreneurship Awareness to Action (AE2A) Curriculum to Promote Training of a Diverse Workforce

Project Summary: This new 2-year educational program aims to grow a diverse, national biomedical research workforce adept in medical device innovation and entrepreneurship. Through skill-building, mentorship, and networking, participants will be empowered to embark on careers translating new research findings and

technologies, including artificial intelligence, into market-ready medical devices for children and adults. Eligible candidates will include graduate students in clinical, translational, or basic sciences and engineering (e.g., Masters, PhD, MD/DMD/Nursing), postdoctoral fellows, research-oriented residents and clinical fellows, and

junior research faculty at academic institutions across the nation. Participants will learn a core curriculum supplemented with a mentored individual development plan to prepare for careers in medical device innovation (e.g., translational researcher, developer, co-founder, regulatory/safety/clinical evaluator) and a Capstone

Project. Our program will be built on our free, open-source, interactive e-book, Academic Entrepreneurship for Medical and Health Scientists. Mentors and faculty will include e-book authors and other nationally recognized experts in device development and entrepreneurship. Participants will benefit from support personnel and

resources at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and our nationwide research and entrepreneurship network. Four aims are proposed: (1) Aim 1 Awareness: Increase awareness of Academic Entrepreneurship (AE) as a career path and build foundational AE skills for medical

device development. Multimodal sessions with storytelling and interactive cases will introduce AE career paths and associated core concepts to a wide audience. One-day sessions will be held in hybrid format (in- person and virtual) four times per year. Session recordings will be shared online for asynchronous viewing to

increase accessibility. Our outreach partners have successful national networks aimed at increasing participation of underrepresented groups in research and will enhance our recruitment and dissemination efforts. (2) Aim 2 Action: Provide further personalized training to those wishing to pursue AE focused on

medical device development. Aim 1 Awareness participants can apply to AE Aim 2 Action programming, which includes a 5-day bootcamp, where they will engage in established and innovative adult learning formats like case-based activities, team-based project work on real-life devices, and modified Fishbowl discussions. (3)

Aim 3 Mentor: Co-create Individual Development Plans (IDPs) and two-year longitudinal mentoring built on evidence-based methods, with mentoring teams that include a clinical mentor. (4) Aim 4 Network/Sustain: Provide mechanisms, including the novel Expertise Knowledge Platform developed at CHOP, for all

participants and program affiliates to stay connected and create a robust, sustainable AE ecosystem that will continue after IPERT funding ends. Our aims’ synergies will promote our long-term goal of ensuring a diverse pipeline of Academic Entrepreneurs to advance medical device innovation and improve national public health.