NIDA/MIT SUD Ventures Program Opportunity
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is pleased to inform you about three exciting opportunities for drug addiction researchers and inventors to learn about entrepreneurship and biomedical product development.
The programs are open to researchers at academic institutions in the United States at any stage of their career. The programs are consistent with and advance the mission of NIDA as described in 42 U.S.C. 285o in that they support the development of research ideas that would further an understanding and management of drug use, misuse and substance use disorders (SUD). Therefore, any applications pursuing ideas in the areas of alcohol use disorder and pain are not encouraged. However, if you are interested in repurposing an existing technology for a new use in SUD, extending a research observation or discovery made in a different scientific field into the SUD area, devising a new business model or distribution/delivery channel that unlocks new value, or simply bringing a product or service to a previously underserved customer in the SUD market, we are looking forward to hearing from you.
These three educational programs are administered as a cooperative agreement between NIDA and the corresponding teaching institution. The programs are offered as a full scholarship for every qualified participant, including round-trip travel to the associated campuses. NIDA encourages you to select one program that best fits your interests, level of preparedness, and schedule. You do not need prior experience in entrepreneurship or business development to apply, but you do need a strong interest in SUDs and a willingness to learn and collaborate with others.
RECRUITING NOW. The NIDA/MIT SUD Ventures Program is an intense and immersive hybrid program consisting of live expert webinars, online courses, and an in-person Bootcamp in Cambridge, MA. Bootcamp is a five-day in-person program, where you will “drink from the firehose” of innovation at MIT. MIT Bootcamps utilize a learning-by-doing approach and the program is ideal for scientists who would enjoy a dynamic and high-energy environment. As a part of a team with diverse skills and experiences, you will work on selecting the team project in the SUD space and building the foundations of a startup together. During the Bootcamp, using MIT’s framework for innovation and entrepreneurship, you’ll learn to identify an opportunity, develop and deliver a superior solution, and select a business model to deliver value for a range of stakeholders. Bootcamp culminates in a pitch competition where you will receive feedback from a team of judges composed of renowned MIT entrepreneurs. For the SUD Ventures program, it is useful but not necessary to have a formed idea for your startup, but it is essential to enter the program with a sense of purpose and desire for impact in the SUD area specifically. Learn more about this program. The program runs Fall 2024 (online) and January 2025 (in-person).
RECRUITING NOW. Applications for the 2024-2025 cohort are now open. Round 1 applications close July 15, 2024.
MIT Bootcamp contact: Mely Wu at [email protected]
Babson SUD Sprint program is a hybrid bespoke program in entrepreneurship and commercialization for researchers and inventors tackling SUDs, combining online and in-person learning. The program is taught by world-class faculty and experts at Babson College, the #1 college for entrepreneurship in the world. You will engage with Babson’s signature Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® methodology to help your individual project in validating your SUD market opportunity, learning methods for addressing uncertainty in the SUD commercialization process, refining your value proposition, building your business model, pitching your solution to potential investors, and networking with other SUD innovators and stakeholders. You will also get to meet SUD startups and visit organizations involved in SUD innovation and learn from their best practices and challenges. This program is better suited for novices who would enjoy structured pedagogical approaches. Learn more about this program. Babson SUD Sprint takes place in-person on Babson College campus at Babson Park, MA, 18 miles from Boston, during the week of August 18-23, 2024.
Applications for the 2024 cohort are now closed. Stay connected for the next cycle announcement.
Babson Contact: Michele Bernier at [email protected]
Innovations for Substance Use Disorders (I4SUD) is a certificate program offered through the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Office of Executive Education. The program will enroll 30 academic researchers, at any stage in their career, who are motivated to solve challenges related to SUD. Participants will work individually or in teams to assess if their pharmaceutical, digital health, or medical device-related inventions can be transformed into innovations to address problems in SUDs. I4SUD combines a five-day visit to Baltimore for workshops with world-class faculty and experts, clinical site visits, and community building; asynchronous and synchronous online activities; and the development of a commercialization plan to make participants competitive for follow-on funding. The program culminates in a pitch competition with an opportunity to compete for a cash prize and receive feedback from expert panels. Participants will be awarded a certificate from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Office of Executive Education upon completing the program. The program will run in Fall 2024 (September – November 2024). Learn more about this program. You can also follow them on LinkedIn for the most up-to-date information.
Applications for the 2024 cohort are now closed. Stay connected for the next cycle announcement.
I4SUD contact: Supriya Munshaw at [email protected]
NIDA contact for all three programs is Jess Lukacs at [email protected].
Don't miss this chance to join a select group of SUD researchers and inventors who are ready to make a difference in the world!