Published: 07 Oct 2024 778 views
The Chwang-Seto Innovation Fellowships Program supports the recipient and the team on the development of a technology in order to bring it closer to the marketplace and allow the fellow to gain further knowledge and experience in business and technology commercialization.
This program is made possible thanks to the Chwang-Seto families, in honour of the late Ronald Chwang (B.Eng.'72, D. Sc.'12), a pioneering entrepreneur and venture capitalist who served on the Faculty of Engineering Advancement Board.
Program Objectives
McGill University is one of Canada's best-known institutions of higher learning and one of the leading universities in the world. With students coming to McGill from over 150 countries, our student body is the most internationally diverse of any research-intensive university in the country.
Application Deadline | 03 Nov 2024 |
Value | $50,000 |
Country to study | Canada |
School to study | McGill University |
Type | Fellowship |
Course to study | View courses |
Sponsor | McGill University |
Gender | Men and Women |
Project grant to further advance technology commercialization
Personalized mentorship and training from our Ronald-Chwang Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
Development of innovation and entrepreneurship skills
Up to $50,000 is awarded as a grant to the Principal Investigator with 80% minimum in stipend/salary going to the eligible McGill Faculty of Engineering PhD student or post-doctoral fellow to carry out the project full-time within 1 year maximum.
Application: Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed. You can send your draft application for review prior to the deadline to the Engine's associate director, [email protected] or to one of the Ronald Chwang Entrepreneurs-in-Residence.
Lead Applicant:
Current postdoc at McGill Faculty of Engineering or a PhD student who has successfully defended their thesis at McGill Faculty of Engineering by the time of the award.
Co-inventor or has worked on the invention, along with a full-time professor at McGill Faculty of Engineering, on an active report of invention backed by the McGill’s Innovation and Partnerships office, I+P. The professor cannot hold an Engine gap funding grant (TechAccelR, WRSA) for the same invention at the same time as this project grant.
Invention:
The technology must be reported as an invention to McGill's Office of Innovation and Partnerships.
In the application you will need to include the summary of the due diligence review undergone by the Technology Transfer Office per section 3.3 of the McGill Guidelines on the Application of the Policy on Inventions and Software. Please contact your Technology Transfer Manager well in advance of the deadline.
Technology not yet optioned nor licensed nor assigned to third party (except for McGill spinoffs). Minimum TRL3.
Project Timeline: Projects can last up to 12 months maximum, projects can be completed earlier.
Project Expenses: At least 80% of the grant must go towards the salary for the eligible postdoc or PhD student to work full-time on the project.
A maximum of 20% can be spent on product and process development costs towards achieving technical milestones (e.g., materials, equipment).
Applications will be evaluated based on:
Evaluation Section | Percentage Allocated | Description |
Problem Statement | 20% | What is the problem being solved? Does the proposed solution fill an unmet need? Are your target customers clearly outlined? Have you validated the problem with your target customers? |
Proposed Solution/Approach | 25% | Is this a novel, not obvious, and potentially disruptive technology? Has the competitive landscape been identified? Any customer/end user validation? |
Technology Development and Commercialization Plan | 25% |
What is your project? Is there proof of concept already? What is the IP strength and stage of development both of technology and market validation? Is there a strong potential impact or market need? What is the assessment of the patentability, third party rights, marketability, and commercial potential of the invention/technology? Have the business challenges been acknowledged? Will this Award greatly help move the technology towards commercialization, e.g. will it attract and accelerate follow-on funding from other sources, significant/relevant technical milestones will be achieved (e.g. go/no-go proof, improved scope and value of the IP, prototype for MVP). |
Project Budget by Milestones and Funding | 20% | Does the proposal clearly identify the key technology development milestones and deliverables? Are the planned expenditures appropriate and justified? |
Team and Collaborators | 5% | Who are the current team members? Has the additional talent needed throughout the project been clearly identified? |
Presentation and Q&A | 5% | In-person presentation by lead applicant to the Selection Committee with Q&A. Communication clear? Enthusiasm and desire for innovation? ![]() |
Innovation Fellowship Key Dates
DESCRIPTION | DATE |
---|---|
Call for applications opens | August 1, 2024 - Apply here! |
Deadline to submit an application | November 3, 2024, 11:59PM ET |
Finalists selected |
November 12, 2024 |
Finalist presents (in person) to the Selection Committee. |
November 12, 2024 to November 20, 2024 |
Awards announced |
November 21, 2024 |
Project begins | January 6, 2025 |
Project ends |
January 6, 2026 |
Application deadline is November 3, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET - Apply Now!
Applicants will need to attach the following documents in the application form.
Selected applicants will need to complete an in-person 10-15 minute presentation to the Selection Committee
For more details visit: McGill University website.