The SHRS Innovation Challenge is designed to move early-stage discoveries from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences towards the market in tandem with the First Gear NSF I-Corps program.
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The SHRS Innovation Challenge and First Gear Program was instrumental in helping our team define our market, develop a business plan, and craft an investor pitch. Participating in and winning this challenge was the tipping point for launching our start-up.
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The SHRS Innovation Challenge is an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to translate their ideas and developments, originating in our labs and classrooms, into rehabilitation products and services that have real impact.
"SHRS is a leader among its peers when it comes to developing and translating key technologies that advance innovation in rehabilitation science.
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First Gear provided me with a framework within which to understand a new vocabulary related to product discovery, pitching ideas, and moving a product to market. First Gear also introduced me to a group of people dedicated to assisting me on this journey who I never even knew existed at Pitt. It was like I found a hidden world at Pitt that couldn't wait to help me navigate unchartered waters!
"The SHRS Innovation Challenge is open to faculty, post doctorial and graduate students, and staff working on University of Pittsburgh intellectual property in the School of the Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Students are welcome to participate on teams led by a faculty member.
The Challenge is done in conjunction with the First Gear NSF I-Corps Program.
1. February 16
2. March 2
3. March 16
4. March 23
5. March 30
6. April 13 (Final presentations and judging.)
Each member of the teams who participate in the SHRS Innovation Challenge Program are expected to contribute at least 3 to 5 hours per week to customer discovery and market research related activities. By the end of the program, teams are expected to complete some of the following deliverables:
· 25 Potential customer/stakeholder interviews
· Business model canvas
· One-page Marketing Brief that summarizes the innovation’s value proposition, market opportunity, competitive landscape, technology, stage of development, and IP landscape.
· Final Pitch Deck for SHRS Innovation Challenge Award Competition that conveys items such as unique value of the innovation, market potential, customer pain point, competitive landscape, business model and path to market.
SHRS Program/Lab List:
o Audiology
o Counseling
o Emergency Medicine
o Health Information Management/Health Informatics
o Nutrition and Dietetics
o Physician Assistant Studies
o Physical Therapy
o Prosthetics and Orthotics
o Occupational Therapy
o Rehabilitation Technology
o Speech-Language Pathology
o Sports Medicine/Sports Science/Athletic Training
Labs:
Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL)
Neuromuscular Research Laboratory (NMRL)