A new faculty fellowship has been established to expand participation in innovation and entrepreneurship at the University of Pittsburgh among women and other Historically Excluded People (HEP).
To create sustainable and equitable institutional culture change around innovation at the University, the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship has established the Pitt EI3 (Equitable, Inclusive Innovation and Incubation) initiative.
Partners in the initiative include the Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI), the Office of the Provost, the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences, and the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Research.
“Pitt has cultivated a robust culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. However, women and other historically excluded people are not yet participating at the levels they are capable. Through PittEI3 we aim to strengthen our innovation ecosystem by increasing its diversity,” said Peter Allen, Executive Director of Inventor Engagement and New Ventures at the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
The Faculty Fellowship program is a stage II intervention, develop by Dr. Cecelia Yates, associate professor of Nursing and a Pitt serial entrepreneur, using a modified social-ecological levels of influence framework to drive inclusive academic innovation.
“An authentic inclusive organizational blueprint that aligns people, principles, purpose, and profit will lead to sustainable engagement in academic innovation,” said Yates.
Those selected for the fellowship will:
- Receive up to 25% full-time professional effort to devote directly to innovation development activities
- Receive academic innovation and entrepreneurial skills training
- Develop an individual academic innovation plan and mapping
- Receive one-on-one innovation mentoring and coaching and sponsorship along with networking opportunities
- Select innovations may qualify for prototype funding
Eligibility
- Hold an early or mid-career (Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor) level appointment with research responsibilities
- Identify as an individual from a historically or currently excluded group -or- Female
- Must have a current research program and be interested in moving your work from discovery to invention
Deadline to apply for the inaugural cohort is Tuesday, November 21, 2023. Selections for the initial Fellowship cohort will be early December.