A new McMaster fellowship program will support entrepreneurial-minded postdoctoral fellows seeking more time to focus on commercializing their research.

Applications are open for the Postdoc Entrepreneur Fellowship, which provides a year of salary support to a postdoctoral fellow who has been working for at least one year to commercialize a technology, product or solution based on their research.

Created by the McMaster Entrepreneurship Academy, the fellowship will facilitate fundraising, team building and prototype development for postdocs, says Leyla Soleymani, McMaster’s Associate Vice-President, Research (Commercialization & Entrepreneurship).

“Across campus, postdoctoral fellows are engaged in important and innovative work that has the potential to improve lives on a local and global scale,” she says.

“This program will give postdocs the additional time and resources they need to commercialize their research, build their entrepreneurial network and skills, and contribute to McMaster’s dynamic and ever-growing innovation ecosystem.”

The Postdoc Entrepreneur Fellow will have opportunities to engage in special programming and quarterly mentorship and support meetings.

The fellowship is one of several initiatives hosted by the McMaster Entrepreneurship Academy, which launched this year to increase support for McMaster’s entrepreneurs through multi-disciplinary collaboration, mentorship opportunities and access to lab space.

McMaster is committed to supporting its community in their entrepreneurial ventures, says Sean Van Koughnett, Special Advisor to the President on Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

“There is so much entrepreneurial talent at McMaster – from our students and trainees, straight through to our researchers — and to maximize that potential, we need to ensure they are well supported at every stage,” says Van Koughnett, noting that he and Soleymani are collaborating on several initiatives to support McMaster’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and emerging entrepreneurs.

Eligible applicants will be asked to compete in an investor-style pitch competition at the 2024 Innovation Showcase on Nov. 19, and a selection committee will award the fellowship to one successful candidate.

Learn more and apply online by Sept. 30, 2024.