PFI (Conference): Supporting Undergraduate Institutions in Technology and Entrepreneurship Development (SUITED)

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) – Conference project is to develop communities of educators and administrators from primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) to foster and improve their institutional ecosystems for technology development and commercialization activities. Faculty at PUIs are, at present, significantly underrepresented in the entrepreneurial activities, even though the institutions may be capable of providing innovation and entrepreneurship experiences and training to students early in their careers.

The lack of technology transfer resources at PUIs may hinder involvement in moving products and services from the laboratory to the marketplace or society. Workshop participants will include faculty members and administrators from a diverse body of primarily undergraduate colleges and universities, including minority-serving institutions and groups underrepresented in science and engineering. The workshop reports will be disseminated broadly in order to enhance the overall impact.

The proposed conference series seeks to stimulate technology development, entrepreneurship, and commercialization activities at primarily undergraduate institutions. The workshop will provide participants with a forum to: (1) learn about technology transfer opportunities, (2) develop supportive communities in the innovation arena, (3) address barriers to commercialization and partnerships, and (4) develop plans to improve infrastructure around innovation and translation.

Basic research activities at undergraduate institutions will be highlighted and linked to potential commercialization and entrepreneurship opportunities. The increased participation by primarily undergraduate institutions in these activities will provide enhanced disciplinary (technical) and entrepreneurial education opportunities for faculty members and their undergraduate students.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.