NIH Entrepreneurship Bootcamp

The NIH Entrepreneurship Bootcamp is designed to equip life science investigators and nascent companies with specialized innovation and entrepreneurship training. The course requires no prior experience and uses a life science-focused customer discovery process to assess customer and stakeholder needs, and teaches participants to develop stronger business models, market strategies, and commercialization plans in advance of their initial SBIR/STTR application.

The Bootcamp places teams on a path to take advantage of other NIH innovation programs, particularly the I-Corps and SBIR programs. Critically, this course will improve the commercialization potential of a project no matter what direction teams ultimately pursue. The program is differentiated from I-Corps@NIH as it targets teams who have not yet been awarded an SBIR or STTR for their technical innovation and who may not yet have formed a company. More information is available through NOT-OD-24-103.

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Eligibility

Innovators who have an SBIR/STTR award that will be active (including no-cost extensions) during the duration of the course are not eligible for this program.

Participants who enroll in the NIH Entrepreneurship Boot Camp must register as a team which should include a technical lead with expertise in the proposed project and an individual who will act as the business lead and who is interested in learning how to assess whether the innovation presents a compelling commercialization opportunity.

The program is structured such that full participation is required across the sessions, which build upon each other. Thus, only teams who can commit the time and effort to participate in the coursework, webinars, and one-on-one coaching sessions actively and consistently should apply.

Course Structure and Schedule

Company teams will be organized into pods (small groups of approximately 6-8 company teams with a dedicated instructor). The eight-week program will consist of:

• a virtual 2-hour introductory lecture-style meeting
• three seminar-style sessions (alternating weeks) with the pod
• three office hour sessions one-on-one with their pod instructor (held during weeks when the seminar does not take place), 
• an all-day virtual event where each company gives a presentation, and instructors provide final comments to each team. Select NIH program directors from Institutes with scientific interests in the project proposals will be invited to attend this event.