FAQ
Who can participate in the Scipreneur Challenge?
Students, postdoctoral fellows, clinical fellows, and research staff at any of the state's universities and research institutions are welcome to participate!
How can we participate/register?
You can apply by emailing scipreneur@biotn.org. We will reveal the available intellectual properties (IP) at our IP Parade!
How do I form a Team? Can I participate by myself?
You will submit your preferences for IPs in your email to scipreneur@biotn.org. You will be assigned to a team based upon your selected preferences. You do not need to have a team to apply. In fact, we do not encourage you to apply as a team.
How are the participants assigned to teams?
We want the teams to be as diverse as possible in terms of experience and expertise. We shoot for every team to have one graduate student, one business student, one clinical fellow or medical student, one law student, and a post-doctoral fellow. We also check if your expertise matches the IP and your reasons for choosing the IP.
How long is the Scipreneur Challenge?
The Scipreneur Challenge is a ten week event.
How much time are we expected to spend on the Scipreneur Challenge per week?
We estimate that 2-4 hours per week will be needed for participants to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by the Scipreneur Challenge. This will also depend on the commitment and background of the participants.
Why should I participate in the Scipreneur Challenge?
Are you interested in entrepreneurship? Are you a STEM major, graduate student or postdoc and want a job in industry? Do you want to become a PI who one day aspires to start their own company? Would you like to win cash prizes? Do you like to explore new things? If your answer to any of the questions was yes, you NEED to participate in the Scipreneur Challenge.
I am not interested in business, why should I participate in the Scipreneur Challenge?
Are you a STEM major, graduate student or postdoc and want a job in industry? If your answer is yes, the Scipreneur Challenge will introduce you to decision making processes in the industry, such as the idea of value propositions. Understanding these concepts is crucial to landing a job and being successful in the industry.
Are you interested in alternative career paths?
The Scipreneur Challenge will introduce and expose you to different fields including Technology Transfer, Regulatory Affairs, Business & Financials, Marketing etc. This might open opportunities in academia as well as industry.
Is there a fee for participation?
There are no fees for participating in the Scipreneur Challenge. However, BioTN Academic Alliance members will be given preference in team assignments. You can apply for membership through BioTN.
What is your code of conduct policy?
We will follow the code of conduct policy of the parent organization of the participants.
We want the Scipreneur Challenge to be a safe environment for learning and exploring careers outside academia. We do not tolerate any kind of inappropriate behavior and harassment. If you see/experience something that makes you feel uncomfortable, please report it to one of the organizers as soon as possible.