Featured Programming

Pitt.INC: A leading Pitt Innovation Program for health sciences research funding

Pitt.INC

Pitt.INC is a key Pitt Innovation Program, offering funding designed to generate proof-of-principle data for novel ideas with high commercial potential. With awards up to $50,000, the program supports projects from Pitt’s Schools of the Health Sciences addressing unmet needs or challenges in human health and disease.

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NSF Regional I-Corps Program

The NSF Regional I-Corps is a one-month, immersive entrepreneurial training program that helps shape Pitt research into products and services. Participants learn to apply customer discovery methodology to evaluate the commercial potential of their ideas.

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NSF Innovation Corps at University of Pittsburgh

Community of Innovators

Pitt’s Community of Innovators supports University members at all stages of their innovation and commercialization journeys and provides mentorship, education, and resources to accelerate the translation of novel solutions addressing unmet health challenges.

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Commercialization Gap Fund

Secure up to $75,000 to de-risk and validate Pitt technologies with existing proof-of-concept data and high commercial potential. Open to all fields and disciplines, this Pitt Innovation Program supports key technical and market studies to bring your innovations closer to commercialization.

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Pitt SPARK

Pitt SPARK is a competitive innovation funding program designed to support the development of Pitt IP, making it ready for commercially-focused external funding and/or tech transfer events. Awards of up to $250,000 are granted to life sciences projects with advanced proof-of-concept data demonstrating real-world feasibility and commercial potential.

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Pitt Startup Academy

Pitt Ventures Startup Academy

Pitt Ventures Startup Academy is a program for Pitt innovators who have a goal of creating a startup in 12-18 months. This program provides ongoing support for innovators’ commercialization goals by utilizing and tapping into the vast capabilities and resources of OIE and our network of experts.

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Curious About Innovation?

Discover opportunities to learn, connect, and explore

Start your commercialization journey and join the OIE webinar series, Pitt’s Community of Innovators, and events hosted by the OIE team. Explore our Inventor’s Guide and commercialization resources to bring your ideas to life.

Learn More

Curious About Innovation

Discover how Pitt Innovation Programs offer opportunities to learn, connect, and explore with Pitt OIE to fuel your creativity, expand your network, and turn your ideas into impactful solutions.

  • Idea to Impact. Engage with OIE staff at a meet-and-greet, including Coffee & Conversation. Join OIE staff every 2nd Tuesday of the month to discuss your innovation and learn about the programs and resources across OIE that can help you realize its potential.
  • OIE Webinar Series. Learn about innovation and commercialization through interactive webinars on key elements of the tech transfer process presented by experts in OIE and the Pitt innovation ecosystem.
  • Community of Innovators. Pitt’s Community of Innovators supports University members at all stages of their innovation and commercialization journeys and provides mentorship, education, and resources to accelerate the translation of novel solutions addressing unmet health challenges.
  • Inventor’s Guide. Review the comprehensive guide that provides essential steps and resources to help you transform your groundbreaking research into impactful products and services. From protecting your invention, to finding the right commercialization path, this guide supports you at every stage.
  • Commercialization Resources. Review key resources to gain critical insights into intellectual property, and startup creation at your convenience. This flexible approach helps you enhance your entrepreneurial skills and make informed decisions to advance your innovations.

Have a Problem or Idea?

Transform your ideas into real-world solutions

OIE offers a range of funding and programming to kickstart the development of your idea into a solution. Apply for proof-of-principle funding from Pitt.INC, validate your problem with the NSF Regional I-Corp Program, and explore the Pitt innovation ecosystem.

Learn More

Have a Problem or Idea?

If you have a problem to solve or an idea to develop, Pitt OIE offers the resources and support you need to turn your vision into reality.

  • Pitt.INC. Pitt.INC is an innovation funding program designed to generate proof-of-principle data for novel ideas with high commercial potential. With awards up to $50,000, the program supports projects from Pitt’s Schools of the Health Sciences addressing unmet needs or challenges in human health and disease.
  • NSF Regional I-Corp Program. The NSF Regional I-Corp is a one-month, immersive entrepreneurial training program that offers hands-on guidance and takes an inventor through the necessary steps to evaluate a technology’s commercial potential by finding and talking to potential customers to understand their problems and unmet needs.
  • Community of Innovators. Pitt’s Community of Innovators supports University members at all stages of their innovation and commercialization journeys and provides mentorship, education, and resources to accelerate the translation of novel solutions addressing unmet health challenges.
  • Pitt Un-Challenged. The Pitt Un-Challenge (PUnCh), operated by the Pitt Office of Multidisciplinary Innovation in the Health Sciences, and the Pitt Clinical and Translational Science Institute, funds bold new solutions to unmet needs in human health and disease. The primary goal of Phase 1 awards is to validate the problem.
  • CREATES. CREATES is an innovation center in the School of Medicine, focused on improving the translational potential of the Pittsburgh healthcare ecosystem. Inspired by the Stanford Biodesign process, CREATES takes a needs-based approach to identifying and solving unmet healthcare needs, with a strong focus on collaborations across different areas of expertise like engineering, medicine, public health and social work. CREATES offers guidance on user research, technology and translation to innovators in the Pittsburgh ecosystem who are passionate about solving the major healthcare challenges that face us today. For more information, Pittsburgh CREATES or email mohit.singhala@pitt.edu.

Ready to Validate Your Solution?

Derisk the commercial opportunity of your technology

Apply to the Commercialization Gap Fund to perform key technical and/or market validation studies or apply to Pitt SPARK to perform later stage industry-defined translation milestones. Explore industry funding opportunities with the Office of Industry and Economic Partnerships.

Learn More

Ready to Validate Your Solution?

Pitt OIE provides the tools and guidance to derisk and validate your technologies, ensuring they meet real-world needs and have the potential for success.

  • NSF Regional I-Corp Program. The NSF Regional I-Corp is a one-month, immersive entrepreneurial training program that offers hands-on guidance and takes an inventor through the necessary steps to evaluate a technology’s commercial potential by finding and talking to potential customers to understand their problems and unmet needs.
  • Commercialization Gap Fund. Secure up to $75,000 to de-risk Pitt technologies with existing proof-of-concept data and high commercial potential. Open to all fields and disciplines, the Commercialization Gap Fund supports key technical and market studies to bring your innovations closer to commercialization.
  • Pitt SPARK. Awards of up to $250,000 are granted to life sciences projects with advanced proof-of-concept data demonstrating real-world feasibility and commercial potential. Pitt SPARK is designed to support the validation of Pitt IP, making it ready for commercially-focused external funding and/or tech transfer events.
  • Office of Industry and Economic Partnerships. The Office of Industry and Economic Partnerships (OIEP) provides a variety of services to support faculty in partnering with industry, identifying industry funding opportunities and commercializing your idea.
  • Community of Innovators. Present your project at Pitt’s Community of Innovators and receive feedback and guidance from industry experts, OIE, and Pitt inventors to develop a solution built for commercial success.

Ready to Launch a Startup?

Kick off your entrepreneurial journey

Join the Pitt Ventures Startup Academy for essential and dedicated startup training and engage with the New Ventures team for support writing SBIR/STTR grants. Connect with OIE’s mentor network and leverage resources from IEE to ensure your startup's success.

Learn More

Ready to Launch a Startup?

Ready to launch a startup? Among our comprehensive Pitt Innovation Programs, Pitt OIE offers tailored support and resources to help you turn your innovative solutions into a successful business.

  • Pitt Ventures Startup Academy. Pitt Ventures Startup Academy is a program for Pitt innovators who have a goal of creating a startup in 12-18 months. This program provides ongoing support for innovators’ commercialization goals by utilizing and tapping into the vast capabilities and resources of OIE and our network of experts.
  • NSF National I-Corp Program. Over seven weeks, participants interview prospective customers and partners to evaluate the market opportunity of their products, processes and services. Reach out to John Inserra for more information about the Regional NSF I-Corp and National I-Corp Programs.
  • SBIR/STTR Grant-Writing Support. SBIR and STTR are competitive programs offered by federal agencies that aim to encourage startups to engage in commercialization efforts. OIE’s New Ventures team assists Pitt startups in writing and securing SBIR and STTR grants. For additional consultation on strategies for applying for SBIR grants, contact OIEstartups@pitt.edu .
  • Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence. The Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence has served businesses throughout western Pennsylvania for more than 25 years. Offering a dynamic mix of consulting, education, and networking opportunities, the IEE strives to be an innovative leader in economic development in the region. Contact the IEE for more information.

Ignite Your Student Innovation Journey

Unlock your potential with our student innovation resources!

Join the Big Idea Center for entrepreneurial resources, participate in the Michael G. Wells Student Healthcare Competition to showcase your healthcare innovations and become a ChangeMaker to create value and positive impact on the world.

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Ready to Ignite Your Innovation Journey as a Student?

As a University of Pittsburgh student, OIE and the Big Idea Center, our hub for student innovation and entrepreneurship at Pitt, provide you with the resources, mentorship, and opportunities to transform your innovative ideas into impactful solutions, whether you’re looking to solve a problem, validate your solution, or launch a startup.

  • Big Idea Center: Transform Your Ideas into Impactful Solutions! The Big Idea Center is an on-campus innovation and skill-development center that fosters the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of the Pitt student community.
    • At the Big Idea Center, become a ChangeMaker to drive positive impact in the world, boost your idea with a Big Idea Blitz, and compete for funding in pitch competitions. Join us to unlock your potential and make a difference!
  • Wells Student HealthTech Competition. The Wells Student HealthTech Competition, sponsored by the Michael G. Wells Entrepreneurial Scholars Fund empowers entrepreneurial students at Pitt by providing faculty support and opportunities to engage with innovative technologies. With $40,000 in prizes, the competition helps advance their discoveries toward commercialization.
  • Community of Innovators. Pitt’s Community of Innovators supports University members, including students, postdocs, and residents, at all stages of their innovation and commercialization journeys and provides mentorship, education, and resources to accelerate the translation of novel solutions addressing unmet health challenges.

Field-Specific Programs

Discover resources tailored to your field

Explore the Hunter Family Foundation Traumatic Brain Injury Translational Research Program, which supports groundbreaking neuroscience research, and the SHRS Innovation Challenge, designed to advance early-stage health and rehabilitation sciences discoveries towards market readiness.

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Need Field-Specific Programs to Elevate Your Team’s Performance?

Discover the tailored solutions we offer to enhance initiatives like the SHRS Innovation Challenge and the Hunter Family Foundation Traumatic Brain Injury Translational Research Program.

  • Hunter Family Foundation Traumatic Brain Injury Translational Research Program
    • The Hunter Program provides a $100,000 annual award to advance Pitt technologies in neuroscience from lab discoveries to commercial products. This program supports key proof-of-concept and validation studies, bridging the gap between academic research and market-ready innovations.
  • SHRS Innovation Challenge
    • The SHRS Innovation Challenge, hosted by the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, aims to advance early-stage discoveries towards commercialization. This program includes a 4-week virtual course that provides researchers with insights into market potential and entrepreneurial skills, culminating in a final pitch competition with top pitches receiving funding.

Curious About Innovation?

Discover opportunities to learn, connect, and explore

Start your commercialization journey and join the OIE webinar series, Pitt’s Community of Innovators, and events hosted by the OIE team. Explore our Inventor’s Guide and commercialization resources to bring your ideas to life.

Learn More

Curious About Innovation

Discover how Pitt Innovation Programs offer opportunities to learn, connect, and explore with Pitt OIE to fuel your creativity, expand your network, and turn your ideas into impactful solutions.

  • Idea to Impact. Engage with OIE staff at a meet-and-greet, including Coffee & Conversation. Join OIE staff every 2nd Tuesday of the month to discuss your innovation and learn about the programs and resources across OIE that can help you realize its potential.
  • OIE Webinar Series. Learn about innovation and commercialization through interactive webinars on key elements of the tech transfer process presented by experts in OIE and the Pitt innovation ecosystem.
  • Community of Innovators. Pitt’s Community of Innovators supports University members at all stages of their innovation and commercialization journeys and provides mentorship, education, and resources to accelerate the translation of novel solutions addressing unmet health challenges.
  • Inventor’s Guide. Review the comprehensive guide that provides essential steps and resources to help you transform your groundbreaking research into impactful products and services. From protecting your invention, to finding the right commercialization path, this guide supports you at every stage.
  • Commercialization Resources. Review key resources to gain critical insights into intellectual property, and startup creation at your convenience. This flexible approach helps you enhance your entrepreneurial skills and make informed decisions to advance your innovations.

Have a Problem or Idea?

Transform your ideas into real-world solutions

OIE offers a range of funding and programming to kickstart the development of your idea into a solution. Apply for proof-of-principle funding from Pitt.INC, validate your problem with the NSF Regional I-Corp Program, and explore the Pitt innovation ecosystem.

Learn More

Have a Problem or Idea?

If you have a problem to solve or an idea to develop, Pitt OIE offers the resources and support you need to turn your vision into reality.

  • Pitt.INC. Pitt.INC is an innovation funding program designed to generate proof-of-principle data for novel ideas with high commercial potential. With awards up to $50,000, the program supports projects from Pitt’s Schools of the Health Sciences addressing unmet needs or challenges in human health and disease.
  • NSF Regional I-Corp Program. The NSF Regional I-Corp is a one-month, immersive entrepreneurial training program that offers hands-on guidance and takes an inventor through the necessary steps to evaluate a technology’s commercial potential by finding and talking to potential customers to understand their problems and unmet needs.
  • Community of Innovators. Pitt’s Community of Innovators supports University members at all stages of their innovation and commercialization journeys and provides mentorship, education, and resources to accelerate the translation of novel solutions addressing unmet health challenges.
  • Pitt Un-Challenged. The Pitt Un-Challenge (PUnCh), operated by the Pitt Office of Multidisciplinary Innovation in the Health Sciences, and the Pitt Clinical and Translational Science Institute, funds bold new solutions to unmet needs in human health and disease. The primary goal of Phase 1 awards is to validate the problem.
  • CREATES. CREATES is an innovation center in the School of Medicine, focused on improving the translational potential of the Pittsburgh healthcare ecosystem. Inspired by the Stanford Biodesign process, CREATES takes a needs-based approach to identifying and solving unmet healthcare needs, with a strong focus on collaborations across different areas of expertise like engineering, medicine, public health and social work. CREATES offers guidance on user research, technology and translation to innovators in the Pittsburgh ecosystem who are passionate about solving the major healthcare challenges that face us today. For more information, Pittsburgh CREATES or email mohit.singhala@pitt.edu.

Ready to Validate Your Solution?

Derisk the commercial opportunity of your technology

Apply to the Commercialization Gap Fund to perform key technical and/or market validation studies or apply to Pitt SPARK to perform later stage industry-defined translation milestones. Explore industry funding opportunities with the Office of Industry and Economic Partnerships.

Learn More

Ready to Validate Your Solution?

Pitt OIE provides the tools and guidance to derisk and validate your technologies, ensuring they meet real-world needs and have the potential for success.

  • NSF Regional I-Corp Program. The NSF Regional I-Corp is a one-month, immersive entrepreneurial training program that offers hands-on guidance and takes an inventor through the necessary steps to evaluate a technology’s commercial potential by finding and talking to potential customers to understand their problems and unmet needs.
  • Commercialization Gap Fund. Secure up to $75,000 to de-risk Pitt technologies with existing proof-of-concept data and high commercial potential. Open to all fields and disciplines, the Commercialization Gap Fund supports key technical and market studies to bring your innovations closer to commercialization.
  • Pitt SPARK. Awards of up to $250,000 are granted to life sciences projects with advanced proof-of-concept data demonstrating real-world feasibility and commercial potential. Pitt SPARK is designed to support the validation of Pitt IP, making it ready for commercially-focused external funding and/or tech transfer events.
  • Office of Industry and Economic Partnerships. The Office of Industry and Economic Partnerships (OIEP) provides a variety of services to support faculty in partnering with industry, identifying industry funding opportunities and commercializing your idea.
  • Community of Innovators. Present your project at Pitt’s Community of Innovators and receive feedback and guidance from industry experts, OIE, and Pitt inventors to develop a solution built for commercial success.

Ready to Launch a Startup?

Kick off your entrepreneurial journey

Join the Pitt Ventures Startup Academy for essential and dedicated startup training and engage with the New Ventures team for support writing SBIR/STTR grants. Connect with OIE’s mentor network and leverage resources from IEE to ensure your startup's success.

Learn More

Ready to Launch a Startup?

Ready to launch a startup? Among our comprehensive Pitt Innovation Programs, Pitt OIE offers tailored support and resources to help you turn your innovative solutions into a successful business.

  • Pitt Ventures Startup Academy. Pitt Ventures Startup Academy is a program for Pitt innovators who have a goal of creating a startup in 12-18 months. This program provides ongoing support for innovators’ commercialization goals by utilizing and tapping into the vast capabilities and resources of OIE and our network of experts.
  • NSF National I-Corp Program. Over seven weeks, participants interview prospective customers and partners to evaluate the market opportunity of their products, processes and services. Reach out to John Inserra for more information about the Regional NSF I-Corp and National I-Corp Programs.
  • SBIR/STTR Grant-Writing Support. SBIR and STTR are competitive programs offered by federal agencies that aim to encourage startups to engage in commercialization efforts. OIE’s New Ventures team assists Pitt startups in writing and securing SBIR and STTR grants. For additional consultation on strategies for applying for SBIR grants, contact OIEstartups@pitt.edu .
  • Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence. The Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence has served businesses throughout western Pennsylvania for more than 25 years. Offering a dynamic mix of consulting, education, and networking opportunities, the IEE strives to be an innovative leader in economic development in the region. Contact the IEE for more information.

Protect Your Idea

Unlock the potential of your research at the University of Pittsburgh by submitting an Invention Disclosure Form. The form kicks off a streamlined process for pursuing intellectual property protection and evaluating the commercial potential of your innovation.

Submit Your Invention

Invention Disclosure Form

Ready to transform your research into impactful innovations? Submit your Invention Disclosure Form to the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (OIE) to protect your intellectual property and evaluate its commercial potential. This crucial first step ensures your ideas are safeguarded and positioned for market success, paving the way for groundbreaking advancements.

To submit your Invention Disclosure Form, simply log in to the updated Invention Disclosure Portal using your Pitt Passport credentials. Complete the form with essential details about your innovation, including descriptions, sketches, funding information, and relevant agreements. This streamlined process makes it easier than ever to document and protect your intellectual property, setting the stage for future achievements.

Submit Disclosure

Other Resources

Funding

Discover funding programs, competitions, and resources to support your entrepreneurial ventures and real-world impact.

Learn More

Inventor’s Guide

This comprehensive guide provides essential steps and resources to help you transform your groundbreaking research into impactful products and services. From protecting your invention, to finding the right commercialization path, this guide supports you at every stage.

Learn More

On-Demand Content

Review key resources to gain critical insights into commercialization, intellectual property, and startup creation at your convenience. This flexible approach helps you enhance your entrepreneurial skills and make informed decisions to advance your innovations.

Learn More

Why Commercialize?

By translating your research into market-ready products and services, you can make a significant impact on society, drive economic growth, and establish valuable industry partnerships.

Learn More
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