Innovation Crossroads, supported by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), is an innovation program that provides support and mentoring to entrepreneurial researchers whose early-stage innovations are too challenging, or technically uncertain, to pursue in a venture capital-financed startup.
ORNL said this week that it is currently searching for innovators for its fifth cohort of the Innovation Crossroads program. Benefits to selected innovators may include up to 24 months of resources including the following:
A two-year fellowship – Innovators receive a yearly living stipend of $78,900 to $89,000, along with a health insurance stipend and travel allowance.
World-class lab access and research funding – In addition to unparalleled access to facilities, research tools, equipment, and expertise at Oak
Ridge National Laboratory, innovators receive R&D funding to support collaboration opportunities with researchers across the lab.
Business mentors, entrepreneurial training, and networking – Innovators receive access to experienced business mentors, entrepreneurial training programs, and exclusive networking opportunities. Innovators are also exposed to a wide range of leaders from academia, industry, government, and finance that can serve as advisors and partners.
Innovation Crossroads embeds innovators at the Laboratory for up to two years through entrepreneurial mentorship and cooperative research and development (R&D). This opportunity allows selected innovators to use the Lab’s unique scientific facilities, equipment, capabilities and experts to accelerate advancement of their early stage scientific discoveries into potentially commercialize-able opportunities.
Technology innovators are selected into the program through an annual competition. The program intends to provide selected innovators with scientific and/or technical mentorship as well as access to R&D assets and scientific expertise at the Laboratory. The goal is to translate innovations from proof-of-concept to proof-of-product.
For acceptance into the program, applicants:
- Must apply as individuals, not as companies or organizations
- Must have PhD or equivalent experience
- Must leverage ORNL R&D capabilities and have an impact on the Department of Energy (DOE) and/or Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) mission
- Must be willing to relocate to the Knoxville-Oak Ridge area for 2-years
- Must be a US citizen or lawful permanent resident at time of application
- Must disclose background IP rights, if necessary, that may be needed to freely operate on R&D related tasks as outlines within the CRADA