I-Week continues today with startup panel

February 8, 2022 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Nebraska (February 8, 2022)—Innovation Week continues today at noon with panel discussion that will take on some of the challenges associated with building a startup company around a new invention or discovery.

Members of that panel group will include James Hermsen, a local entrepreneur and co-founder of Suh-Hermsen Glasses; Doug Miller, CEO and founder of Impower Health; Abbie Raikes, PhD, CEO and founder of ECD Measure; and Jason Johanning, MD, founder of FutureAssure.

Like all Innovation Week events, the startup panel discussion is free and open to all. It can be viewed at https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/99982541856.

Another panel discussion is planned for the following day, Wednesday, Feb. 9, at noon. This panel will discuss various resources available to fresh startup companies and aspiring entrepreneurs. This panel will feature Josh Nichol-Caddy, the Technology Commercialization Director at the Nebraska Business Development Center; Jace Gatzemeyer, innovation development strategist at UNeTech; Joy Eakin, Entrepreneurship Program Manager at NUtech Ventures; Matt Foley, Program Director at Invest Nebraska; and Megan Varnum, principal consultant at BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting.

Anyone can log into the that panel discussion at https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/97605682096.

Sponsored by UNeMed, Innovation Week is a series of events that celebrate and encourage innovation and discovery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The week culminates with the Innovation Awards, which honors all UNMC and UNO faculty, students and staff who contributed to a new invention, received a U.S. patent or had a technology successfully licensed during the previous fiscal year.

The awards ceremony is planned for Thursday, Feb. 10, at noon. The hour-long program will announce the Most Promising New Invention of the Year, the Startup of the Year and the Innovator of the Year.

Anyone can log into the Awards ceremony at https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/93036191871.

Innovation Week opened Monday with a panel discussion about local resources for 3D modeling and building prototypes. A video of that discussion will soon be available.

To view that video or to learn more about Innovation Week and the Innovation Awards, including any potential itinerary changes or updates, visit UNeMed’s Innovation Week page at https://www.unemed.com/innovation-week.

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Innovation Week kicks off today with prototyping panel

February 7, 2022 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Nebraska (February 7, 2022)—Innovation Week 2021 opens today at noon with a panel discussion on local resources available for 3D modeling and building prototypes.

Members of the panel group will include Brian Maass, the digital technologies librarian at the Leon S. McGoogan Health Science Library; Noah Wester, 3D modeling technician at UNeTech Institute, the University startup incubator; Bethany Lowndes, PhD, an Assistant Professor in Neurological Sciences and a member of the Great Plains IDeA-CTR core facility; and Brian Knarr, an Associate Professor and Director of the Machining and Prototyping Core at UNO Biomechanics.

Like all Innovation Week events, the prototyping panel discussion is free and open to all. It can be viewed at: https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/94759912131.

Innovation Week continues tomorrow at noon with a second panel group that will discuss what it takes to build a startup company around a new invention. Members of that panel group will include James Hermsen, a local entrepreneur and co-founder of Suh-Hermsen Glasses; Doug Miller, CEO and founder of Impower Health; Abbie Raikes, PhD, CEO and founder of ECD Measure; and Jason Johanning, MD, founder of FutureAssure.

Anyone can log into the startup panel discussion at https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/99982541856.

A third and final panel discussion is planned for the following day, Wednesday, Feb. 9, at noon. This panel will discuss various resources available to fresh startup companies and aspiring entrepreneurs. This panel will feature Josh Nichol-Caddy, the Technology Commercialization Director at the Nebraska Business Development Center; Jace Gatzemeyer, innovation development strategist at UNeTech; Joy Eakin, Entrepreneurship Program Manager at NUtech Ventures; Matt Foley, Program Director at Invest Nebraska; and Megan Varnum, principal consultant at BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting.

Anyone can log into the final panel discussion at https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/97605682096.

Sponsored by UNeMed, Innovation Week is a series of events that celebrate and encourage innovation and discovery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The week culminates with the Innovation Awards, which honors all UNMC and UNO faculty, students and staff who contributed to a new invention, received a U.S. patent or had a technology successfully licensed during the previous fiscal year.

The Innovation Awards and all other Innovation Week events will be hosted via Zoom. The awards ceremony is planned for Thursday, Feb. 10, at noon. The hour-long program will announce the Most Promising New Invention of the Year, the Startup of the Year and the Innovator of the Year.

Anyone can log into the Awards ceremony at https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/93036191871.

All events are free and open to all. More information, including any potential itinerary changes or updates, can be found at unemed.com/innovation-week.

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Dates set for Innovation Week; Awards planned for Feb. 10

January 31, 2022 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Nebraska (January 31, 2022)—Innovation Week 2021 will begin next week following a four-month postponement due to the pandemic.

Sponsored by UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNMC and UNO, Innovation Week is a series of events meant to celebrate and encourage innovation and discovery on Omaha campuses. The week culminates with the Innovation Awards, which honors all UNMC and UNO faculty, students and staff who contributed to a new invention, received a U.S. patent or had a technology successfully licensed during the previous fiscal year.

Like last year, the Innovation Awards—and all other Innovation Week events—will be hosted via Zoom. The awards ceremony is planned for Thursday, Feb. 10, at noon. The hour-long program will announce the Most Promising New Invention of the Year, the Startup of the Year and the Innovator of the Year.

Anyone can log into the Awards ceremony at https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/93036191871.

Innovation Week begins on Monday, Feb. 7, at noon with a panel discussion on local resources available for 3D modeling and making prototypes. Members of the panel group will include Brian Maass, the digital technologies librarian at the Leon S. McGoogan Health Science Library; Noah Wester, 3D modeling technician at UNeTech Institute, the University startup incubator; Bethany Lowndes, PhD, an Assistant Professor in Neurological Sciences and a member of the Great Plains IDeA-CTR core facility; and Brian Knarr, an Associate Professor and Director of the Machining and Prototyping Core at UNO Biomechanics.

Anyone can log into the prototyping panel discussion at https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/94759912131.

Innovation Week continues on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at noon with a second panel group that will discuss what it takes to build a startup company around a new invention. Members of that panel group will include James Hermsen, a local entrepreneur and co-founder of Suh-Hermsen Glasses; Doug Miller, CEO and founder of Impower Health; Abbie Raikes, PhD, CEO and founder of ECD Measure; and Jason Johanning, MD, founder of FutureAssure.

Anyone can log into the startup panel discussion at https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/99982541856.

A third and final panel discussion is planned for the following day, Wednesday, Feb. 9, at noon. This panel will discuss various resources available to fresh startup companies and aspiring entrepreneurs. This panel will feature Josh Nichol-Caddy, the Technology Commercialization Director at the Nebraska Business Development Center; Jace Gatzemeyer, innovation development strategist at UNeTech; Joy Eakin, Entrepreneurship Program Manager at NUtech Ventures; Matt Foley, Program Director at Invest Nebraska; and Megan Varnum, principal consultant at BBC Entrepreneurial Training & Consulting.

Anyone can log into the final panel discussion at https://unomaha.zoom.us/j/97605682096.

Innovation Week concludes the following day with the Innovation Awards at noon on Thursday, Feb. 10.

All events are free and open to all. More information, including any potential itinerary changes or updates, can be found at unemed.com/innovation-week.

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Dr. Jorgenson promoted to Licensing Associate

January 26, 2022 Comments (0) News

Dr. Jorgenson

OMAHA, Neb. (January 26, 2022)—Lisa Carlson, PhD, has been promoted from intern to a full-time licensing associate position with UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

“I can’t stress how excited we are to bring Dr. Jorgenson onto our team as a full time Licensing Associate,” said Michael Dixon, PhD, UNeMed’s President and CEO. “Her scientific acumen and ability to understand and articulate the business opportunities associated with these new scientific discoveries will help ensure that more UNMC discoveries will developed into products and services that improve healthcare.”

The promotion and full-time status expands her role of evaluating, marketing, and seeking partnerships for new inventions, cures, treatments and medical devices developed at UNMC.

UNeMed’s mission is to help UNMC and UNO faculty, students and staff further develop their innovations and groundbreaking discoveries into real-world applications and products. Dr. Jorgenson joins UNeMed’s team of licensing experts who work every day to advance the University’s new discoveries into new technologies that might one-day affect millions around the world.

“At UNeMed, I have the pleasure of learning new things every week that span the biomedical spectrum,” Dr. Jorgenson said, “while applying the critical thinking skills I gained in graduate school. When I receive a new invention disclosure, I end up going down deep rabbit holes learning about the technology. I love it.”

A native of Webster, South Dakota, Dr. Jorgenson is the daughter of Jody and Jackie Jorgenson. She is a 2016 graduate of the University of South Dakota with a Bachelor’s degree in medical biology. Dr. Jorgenson completed her doctorate in Immunology, Pathology, and Infectious Diseases at UNMC in 2021.

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Innovation Week events set

January 24, 2022 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Neb. (Jan. 24, 2022)—After a four-month postponement, the 15th annual Innovation Week will begin next month, on Monday, Feb. 7, with a full slate of virtual events.

Innovation Week, an annual celebration of innovation and discovery at the University of Nebraska’s Omaha campuses, is sponsored by UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNMC and UNO.

Innovation Week will begin at noon on Monday, Feb. 7, with a panel discussion about local prototyping services. The expert panel is expected to explore prototyping strategies and available resources for researchers, inventors and entrepreneurs who have ideas for new devices or ideas for improving existing ones.

The discussion is free and open to all, and will be held via Zoom at https://bit.ly/iWEEK21proto.

On the following day, Tuesday, Feb. 8, the second panel group will get underway at noon with a discussion about University startups. A group of startup CEOs and inventor-founders will discuss tips, tricks, cautionary tales and lessons learned from their “Adventures in Starting Up.”

This Zoom event is also free and open to all: https://bit.ly/iWEEKstartup.

Innovation Week will continue on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at noon with its third and final panel discussion, this one exploring resources for those interested in building a startup company. That event will also be held via Zoom: http://bit.ly/iWEEKsbir.

Innovation Week concludes on Thursday, Feb. 10, at noon with the Innovation Awards ceremony. The awards program will recognize all faculty, students and staff who submitted new inventions, had a technology licensed or were awarded a United States patent during the fiscal year ending in 2021.

The awards program is expected to run about an hour, and will also feature remarks from Chancellor Jeffrey Gold, M.D., along with special awards for the year’s Most Promising New Invention and the Innovator of the Year.

The Innovation Awards will be free and open to all via Zoom at http://bit.ly/iWEEK21awards.

Additional details about Innovation Week events can be found at https://www.unemed.com/innovation-week.

 
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Save the date: Virtual Innovation Awards planned for Feb. 10

January 20, 2022 Comments (0) Innovation Week, News

OMAHA, Neb. (January 20, 2022)—After a long postponement UNeMed’s annual Innovation Awards has been rescheduled for Thursday, Feb. 10.

Traditionally hosted in October, UNeMed’s recognition of innovators and inventors at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, was delayed in an effort to host the event in-person. However, due to the persistence of the COVID-19 pandemic, all Innovation Week events will be entirely virtual.

As Innovation Week enters its 15th year, UNeMed is planning a series of events including three panel discussions. One group will discuss SBIR/STTR grant funding; another will examine how to build a startup company around an invention; and a third will dive into the ins and outs of prototyping. Times and dates will be announced as soon as they have been finalized.

Innovation Week will culminate with the Innovation Awards Ceremony, tentatively scheduled for noon on Thursday, Feb. 10. The hour-long event will be held via Zoom, and will be free and open to all.

The awards program recognizes all faculty, students and staff who submitted new inventions, had a technology licensed or were inventors on an issued United States patent during the 2021 fiscal year. UNeMed will also present two special awards for the year’s Most Promising New Invention and the Innovator of the Year.

Innovation Week is sponsored by UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNMC and UNO.

More information and Zoom links to Innovation Week events will be announced in the coming weeks, and will also be posted at https://www.unemed.com/innovation-week.

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Upcoming pediatric workshop to focus connecting research with patient care

January 19, 2022 Comments (0) News

The Child Health Research Institute will host a Pediatric Academic Workshop with the theme “From Bench to Bedside to Bench” on Feb. 22, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Speakers will provide guidance on how to convert research ideas into reality; how to better connect clinical and bench science to impact patient care; and how to benefit from mentorship provided by senior investigators to develop your own career path. Panel discussions are scheduled on the topics of “Successful Collaboration Between Basic & Clinical Science” and “From Bench to Bedside to Market.”

To complement the Pediatric Academic Workshop, Chester Koh, Professor of Urology, Pediatrics and OB/GYN at Baylor College of Medicine and Balakrishna Haridas, Director of the BioInnovation Master’s of Engineering Program at Texas A&M University, will present on the Southwest National Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium (SWPDC). SWPDC is an entity that provides assistance to developers of pediatric medical devices in the form of seed funding, consulting assistance, engineering and design assistance and other services.

Attendees can register to attend the complete workshop events or just the talk by Drs. Koh and Haridas. Visit the Pediatric Academic Workshop website at https://www.unmc.edu/chri/news/Workshops.html for more information and to access the registration links. The complete agenda is also available at the workshop website, and can be viewed and downloaded below.

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Startup built on UNMC/UNO collaboration closes seed round

January 18, 2022 Comments (0) News

TEL AVIV, Israel (January 18, 2022)—A startup company, built on an innovation developed at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s world-renowned biomechanics department, recently closed a seed investment round worth 3 million Israeli shekels, or about $965,000, according to current exchange rates.

Led by Israeli investment group, eHealth Ventures, the seed round will finance additional development and clinical trials for the startup, RespirAI Medical.

“The funds will help us to achieve some key development and clinical milestones,” RespirAI CEO Nimrod Bin-Nun said in an email. “The main one is a multi-sites clinical trial that will get us ready for a regulatory trial.”

Pictured here is one of the earliest prototypes for the device that could detect imminent exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, before any obvious symptoms are present. (file photo)

ResiprAI is one of 17 portfolio companies at eHealth Ventures, a multinational consortium that counts Mayo Clinic and Amgen among their partners.

“Home monitoring for lung diseases is an under-served area, and we are happy to invest in this innovative company, based on foreign IP, that will make full use of the funding and unique strategic support we provide,” eHealth Ventures Vice President for Business Development, Ophir Shahaf, said in a press release.

The core technology is believed to be the first device that can accurately detect the earliest signs of what is known as a “COPD exacerbation.”

COPD, short for or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a condition that slowly destroys a patient’s lungs, eventually forcing them to live in constant breathlessness.

On occasion, COPD symptoms can suddenly get much, much worse in a potentially fatal flare-up called an exacerbation.

COPD is the third-leading cause of death on the planet, and exacerbations are most often only treatable in intensive care units. Often, a patient’s best chance at survival relies on how quickly they can get to a hospital.

The root cause of exacerbations remains a mystery, but RespirAI’s wearable device could finally provide COPD sufferers some advance warning that an exacerbation may be imminent.

The device measures the relationship between the rhythms of a patient’s pulse rate and their breathing and walking patterns. A subtle, measurable change in those patterns help determine the likelihood of an exacerbation.

It will likely take another year or more before the device is available to the public.

RespirAI was initially created through an intellectual property license deal brokered by UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office for UNO and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The original invention was a collaboration between UNMC’s Stephen Rennard, MD, and UNO Biomechanics researcher, Jennifer Yentes, PhD.

UNeTech Instititue, the University of Nebraska’s startup incubator in Omaha, played crucial role as well, funding a successful national study with an early prototype.

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Virtual Incision announces $46 million raise

November 30, 2021 Comments (1) News, Success Stories

Virtual Incision MIRALINCOLN, Nebraska (November 30, 2021)—Virtual Incision, a surgical robotics startup company based on University of Nebraska innovations, recently closed a successful $46 million Series C financing round, the company announced today in a press release.

“I feel fortunate to have worked with Virtual Incision over the years as they developed this technology into a successful platform,” UNeMed president and CEO, Michael Dixon, said. “It’s a great example of University innovation, and the time and energy it takes to develop a novel idea into a product. The success of today took more than a decade to build, and I’m excited for their growth over the next 10 years as their platform technology moves into the surgical rooms where it can have a direct impact on patients.”

University of Nebraska-Lincoln robotics engineer Shane Farritor, PhD, and former University of Nebraska Medical Center surgeon Dmitry Oleynikov, MD, co-founded Virtual Incision in 2006. Their collaboration resulted in a surgical device that could transform traditionally open, highly invasive surgeries into minimally invasive procedures.

The cash will finance Virtual Incision’s latest push for full regulatory approval for its flagship device, the MIRA Surgical Platform. MIRA stands for “miniaturized in vivo robot.”

MIRA weighs about two pounds, giving it a distinct advantage over other surgical platforms that require the dedicated space of an entire room. Surgical staff can easily move Virtual Incision’s robot from room-to-room as needed, even for complex procedures like a colon resection.

A typical colon resection surgery today requires a large incision so the surgeon can remove a portion of a patient’s lower intestine. It requires months of recovery and rehabilitation. But a skilled surgeon using Virtual Incision’s MIRA system can shave that recovery time to mere days.

“The ability of MIRA to successfully perform colon resection—a challenging procedure in minimally invasive surgery that requires multi-quadrant anatomical access and significant robotic strength—demonstrates the huge potential of the platform,” Dr. Farritor said in the press release. “This funding milestone represents a step forward in our goal to deliver a miniaturized solution for robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery, regardless of the site of care.”

In August, Virtual Incision announced the “world’s first surgery using the MIRA Surgical Platform.” Michael Jobst, MD, performed a right hemicolectomy at Bryan Medical Center in Lincoln. The procedure was part of an ongoing clinical study that could lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve the device for use in humans.

According to the issued release, the funding will also support a “research and development pipeline” that include “a family of mini-robots optimized for additional operations such as hernia repair, gallbladder removal, hysterectomy, sleeve gastrectomy and others.”

The successful funding round was led by Endeavour Vision and Baird Capital, with participation from returning investor Bluestem Capital and others, according to the announcement.

Including this most recent raise, Virtual Incision has now attracted nearly $100 million in investments since its initial founding in 2006.

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Dr. Crawford promoted to licensing associate

November 22, 2021 Comments (0) News

Dr. Crawford

OMAHA, Neb. (November 22, 2021)—AJ Crawford, PhD, MBA, has been promoted from intern to a full-time licensing associate position with UNeMed, the technology transfer and commercialization office at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Before joining UNMC, Dr. Crawford was a trauma technician at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne.

“My experience enabled me to better understand the medical technologies invented at UNMC and appreciate the value they would bring to patients and healthcare workers,” she said. “The technologies we used ultimately led to my interest in biomedical research.”

Dr. Crawford is a 2015 graduate of the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with a Bachelor’s degree in biology. A native of South Whitley, Indiana, she completed her MBA in 2015 at UNO, and added a doctorate in biomedical research from UNMC in 2021.

“We’re excited to have Dr. Crawford on our team as a fulltime Licensing Associate,” said UNeMed president and CEO Michael Dixon, PhD. “Her background in Emergency Medicine, combined with an MBA and PhD gives her a broad base of knowledge to draw on while she works to help our faculty, students and staff bring new discoveries to market.”

The promotion and full-time status expands her role of evaluating, marketing, and seeking partnerships for new inventions, cures, treatments and medical devices developed at UNMC.

UNeMed’s mission is to help faculty, students and staff at UNMC and UNO develop their innovations and ground-breaking discoveries. Dr. Crawford joins UNeMed’s talented roster of licensing experts who work every day to advance the University’s new discoveries into the future technologies that might one-day affect millions around the world.

“I love working with inventors,” Dr. Crawford said. “It’s so exciting to their pet projects, and see all that potential, and try to help them hone that in.”

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McClurg honored at BioNebraska Annual Meeting

November 3, 2021 Comments (0) News

 

LINCOLN, Nebraska (Nov. 3, 2021)—Jim McClurg, PhD, former Charmain of the UNeMed Board of Directors and former Regent for the University of Nebraska, was honored with BioNebraska’s first-ever Bioscience Lifetime Achievement Award during the trade organization’s annual meeting last week.

McClurg—who played a significant role in the early stages of Hudl, one of Nebraska’s most successful startup companies—was a part of the group that created UNeMed, serving as its first chairman.

To hear Don Leuenberger tell it, UNeMed might owe its existence to McClurg.

“When we started UNeMed in 1991, it was very innovative,” said Leuenberger, who was UNMC’s Vice Chancellor for Business from 1988 until his retirement in 2015. “There weren’t any other tech transfer entities at the University of Nebraska… I think it was Jim’s presence on the board that prompted the Board Regents’ approval.”

As the person who invited McClurg to join to UNeMed in the first place, Leuenberger himself has often been called the “Godfather of UNeMed.” Leuenberger eventually went on to serve UNeMed as its chairman in 2006-2016, but he still points to McClurg’s early involvement as foundational.

“Certainly, he gave us the prominence, the respect and guidance that made this whole innovative thing work,” Leuenberger said. “He gave us legitimacy.”

McClurg’s impact and influence has not been lost on UNeMed’s current CEO and President, Michael Dixon.

“In addition to his role as a founding father of UNeMed, Jim has continued to serve UNeMed as a mentor and adviser,” Dixon said. “When UNeMed needed to restructure a decade ago, Jim’s guidance and mentorship were invaluable.”

UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green, PhD, presented the award during BioNebraska’s annual meeting, which included a video message from former governor Mike Johanns, a longtime friend of McClurg. Johanns also served as a U.S. Senator and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

“If we are lucky, once in a lifetime, we meet someone who makes lifetime commitments and friendships that change our world,” Johanns said in the video. “Tonight, we honor such a man: Jim McClurg.”

A native of Bassett, Neb., McClurg earned his doctorate in biochemistry from UNMC in 1973. He sat on the University Board of Regents in 2002-2012, serving as chairman in 2006-2012.

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Bio Nebraska, UNeTech receive grant to support women in STEM

October 29, 2021 Comments (0) News

Bio Nebraska and the UNeTech Institute have received a $250,000 grant to enable the launch of Opportunity Corps, a program designed to support women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as they explore the viability of launching tech ventures.

The grant is a Central Standards grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Opportunity Corps is inspired by the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps, which helps researchers achieve entrepreneurship.

“The Kauffman Foundation is taking a strong leadership role in the heartland, and we’re so pleased to be a part of it,” said Rod Markin, MD, PhD, executive director of UNeTech. “We’re excited to join Bio Nebraska and help expand entrepreneurship throughout Nebraska and the surrounding states.”

As part of its Nebraska Women in STEM initiative, Bio Nebraska will expand its engagement through the grant to encourage inventions from women in STEM in Nebraska. UNeTech will be a subrecipient of Bio Nebraska’s grant and will help to identify women inventors from the campuses of the University of Nebraska and the University of Nebraska Medical Center to participate in the Opportunity Corps program.

“Partnering with Bio Nebraska is the ideal collaboration for this grant,” said Stephanie Kidd, PhD, principal investigator for the grant. “We know women in STEM face huge barriers in entrepreneurship, from their male peers, male supervisors and male potential funders. Developing this program with Bio Nebraska will allow us to reach out to women in STEM in both academia and in the industry to provide innovative support and training. UNeTech could not do that alone.”

The Central Standards grant provides matching funds to encourage and accelerate collaborations between two or more entrepreneurship support organizations working together to support Heartland entrepreneurs in the states of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. Bio Nebraska and UNeTech were among nine Central Standards grantees in the Midwest working to advance inclusive prosperity through entrepreneurship.

“At Bio Nebraska, we’ve been committed to growing our Nebraska Women in STEM initiative to provide ongoing professional development opportunities to our more than 90 member organizations, as well as STEM professionals across the state, with the goal to recruit and retain more women in STEM in Nebraska,” said Sasha Forsen, assistant director of Bio Nebraska. “As experts in partnering with future business leaders and bringing impactful ideas into a reality, UNeTech’s partnership on this project is essential to realizing our shared goal of increasing the number of women leaders in STEM in our statewide communities.”

About Bio Nebraska
Founded in 2005, Bio Nebraska is a non-profit trade association dedicated to supporting, promoting and growing Nebraska’s bio-ecosystem. Bio Nebraska represents over 90 member companies from all segments of our state’s bio-ecosystem and works to connect the bio-ecosystem to the world to create opportunities for economic development and growth in the state.

About the UNeTech Institute
The UNeTech Institute is Omaha’s only university-supported startup incubator. UNeTech engages in research to add value to startup companies. Research can come from the learning laboratories of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Metropolitan Community College or from UNeTech’s internal team of experts.

About the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to increase opportunities that allow all people to learn, to take risks, and to own their success. The Kauffman Foundation is based in Kansas City, Missouri, and uses its $2 billion in assets to collaboratively help people be self-sufficient, productive citizens. For more information, visit www.kauffman.org and connect with us at  www.twitter.com/kauffmanfdn  and  www.facebook.com/kauffmanfdn.

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UNeMed seeking qualified licensing specialist

October 19, 2021 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Neb. (October 19, 2021)—UNeMed is accepting qualified applications for an opening on its licensing team.

The licensing specialist position is aimed at those interested in continuing a career in technology transfer and research commercialization.

UNeMed licensing specialists work closely with inventors, helping evaluate, market and license the discoveries and innovations that emerge from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

The licensing associate position is a regular, full-time position.

A minimally qualified candidate will have:

  • A bachelor’s degree in a scientific field
  • At least one year of experience in technical sales/marketing, intellectual property or business development
  • Strong organizational skills
  • Exceptional written, oral, communication and analytical skills

Preference will be given to candidates with doctoral degrees in scientific fields, and at least two years’ experience negotiating and closing intellectual property licensing deals. Other desirable traits include working knowledge of the patent application process.

Learn more, including how to apply for the position, at the UNMC job portal, https://unmc.peopleadmin.com/postings/62409

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UNeTech lands $150,000 SBA award

September 30, 2021 Comments (0) News

Rodney Markin - Pathology

Dr. Markin

OMAHA, Neb. (September 30, 2021)—The UNeTech Institute, a startup incubator affiliated with the University of Nebraska Omaha and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, will receive $150,000 from the Small Business Administration (SBA) to fund the creation of a collaborative partnership of entrepreneurial support organizations aimed at supporting innovation-focused entrepreneurs from underserved communities. The eight winners of the 2021 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Catalyst Prize competition were announced on Sept. 16.

Dr. Gatzemeyer

The SBIR Catalyst competition is intended to expand access to the SBIR program, a highly competitive grant program that supports small businesses engaged in research and development with the potential for commercialization. Funding from the SBA will help UNeTech create the Heartland SBIR Catalyst Partnership, a collection of technology transfer offices at 11 midwestern universities aimed at linking university-owned intellectual property, SBIR funding and local entrepreneurs from underrepresented populations.

Jace Gatzemeyer, PhD, UNeTech’s innovation development strategist, was responsible for landing the prize and will be leading the implementation of the new partnership. “UNeTech has an ambitious plan to build an inclusive R&D ecosystem in the heartland,” Dr. Gatzemeyer said. “This funding will support the continued assembly successful SBIR proposals.”

Runge

“Jace has put together an amazing program,” said Rod Markin, MD, PhD, executive director of UNeTech. “It is wonderful to see him get the national recognition he deserves.”

Dr. Markin said the prize funding will help the incubator advance more ambitious projects.

Joe Runge, JD, associate director of UNeTech, expressed gratitude to the SBA. “It is an honor for UNeTech to be mentioned alongside such experienced colleagues as BBC Entrepreneurial Training and OK Catalyst, who also were recognized from our region,” he said.

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Entrepreneurial learning sessions planned

September 13, 2021 Comments (0) News

From the Sources Mouth:  BBCetc’s annual “From the Sources” Mouth” fall event is bigger and better than ever! Program managers will provide a 30-minute overview of the agency’s mission and tips for creating a successful proposal.  Attendees will have time for Q&A and the opportunity to sign-up for one-on-ones with agency officers.

  • Sept. 14 – 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST –  Federal Granting Agencies: SBA, NIH, NSF, DOC-NOAA, DOE, USDA, NIAD
  • Sept. 15 – 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST –  Federal Contracting Agencies: SBA, EPA, BARDA, NASA, DOT, DOEd, CDMRP
  • Sept. 16 – 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST – DOD & Components:  DOD, DHA, DARPA, SPARTN, NavSea, Air Force/AFWERX, DHS

Register here [ec2-34-221-130-80.us-west-2.compute.amazonaws.com]

 

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Back-o-the-Napkin Contest opens for UNMC

September 9, 2021 Comments (0) News

OMAHA, Nebraska (September 9, 2021)—A new contest is open to all faculty, students and staff who have ideas for innovative medical devices.

Sponsored by UNMC’s technology transfer and commercialization office, UNeMed, the “Back-o-the-Napkin Contest” will accept entries throughout the fall until the New Year.

Find entry forms at the James and Karen Linder Maker Studio within the Leon S. McGoogan Health Sciences Library, who is co-sponsoring the contest. Entry forms, designed to resemble actual napkins, ask that inventors draw and describe their ideas. All novel innovations will be rendered into a three-dimensional model.

The top three innovations will win additional support with a professionally engineered and designed prototype. The prototype stage is a common hazard for inventors because prototypes can be costly to create. Yet they are essential for attracting additional support and financing for further development.

The 3D modeling and prototyping will be provided by co-sponsors UNeTech and the Center for Innovation Entrepreneurship and Franchising at the College of Business at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

In addition to the McGoogan Library, entry forms will be available at UNeMed, UNeTech and within various departments around campus.

Submit completed entry forms to UNeMed via campus mail. For digital entries, scan and email completed forms to unemed@unmc.edu.

Direct any questions or request additional entry forms at tyler.scherr@unmc.edu.

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