Lab2Market
Sponsor
Lab2Market (L2M)
Program
Lab2Market - Toronto cohort
For More Information
Learn more about the program at: http://lab2market.ca/program-details/ [1]
Description
Lab2Market (L2M) http://lab2market.ca/ [2] is the first national-level program in Canada to fund and equip graduate students and their faculty supervisors with the entrepreneurial skills needed to assess the commercial viability of their university-based research innovations.
L2M is looking for graduate students with big ideas who believe their tech research can solve real world problems. Together with the direct involvement of the faculty supervisors and the support of mentors, graduate students will go through a program that provides the resources, training and guidance needed to take their innovation from lab to market.
L2M is based on the successful I-Corps program in the U.S. and I-CURe program in the U.K.
Eligibility
Applicants must apply in teams consisting of a(n):
- Entrepreneurial Lead (the main applicant) – is a full-time graduate student (Masters or PhD) who has developed, or is currently developing, tech-based university research. Postdoctoral Fellows are also eligible to apply within 5 years of completing their PhD.
- Technical Lead (the faculty member) – is the principal investigator (PI) for the research project. This person must be tri-council funding eligible [3].
- Mentor – should have experience in the research domain from an industry or business perspective. Ideally, the mentor can help the team explore the commercial potential of their research through their network and expertise in the applicant’s targeted industry. *Note, if you can not find a mentor, please indicate you need assistance in the form below. – You can still submit an application by February 14th without having a mentor.
Teams must apply with their own research, and must provide evidence that it is technically feasible.
Deadlines
If College-level review is required, your College will communicate its earlier internal deadlines.
| Type | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
External Deadline | Application Results Released: Mid April |
How to Apply
Lab2Market Application Form can be accessed online at: http://lab2market.ca/apply/ [4]
Note for Applicants:
You are expected to have conducted thorough secondary market research (i.e. internet search), to determine if your technology already exists in the market. You should be able to explain how your technology improves upon an existing product/service and/or how your technology compares to existing competition, or alternatives, in the marketplace.
The Lab2Market team and external members will evaluate your application based on:
- How novel your technology is
- How great your problem/opportunity is
- How big the market is
The L2M application will require the main applicant to complete the form application form and upload the Mitacs Accelerate Proposal. Both the form and proposal need to be submitted together (link: http://lab2market.ca/apply/ [4]). Note: The Mitacs proposal will also be reviewed by an external Mitacs review committee.