Chancellor’s Innovation Fund

Proposals should be generated using the CIF proposal template and should be three to five pages in length, not including a budget, appendices and supporting documents. Please submit an invention disclosure to the ORC for the technology related to the proposal if you have not already done so. (Only projects with an invention disclosure on file with ORC will be considered.)

Proposals will be evaluated based on the above CIF Program Criteria. Applicants should consider the following:

• What is the market problem that your technology will address?
• What are the consequences of the problem (time, money, wasted resources, etc.)? Quantify where possible.
• How is the problem currently being addressed, and why is this inadequate?
• How does your solution address the outlined problem? Does it completely eliminate it, or does it only mitigate, and if so, to what degree? How will it be integrated into existing processes?
• What do you expect your solution is worth to those who are experiencing the problem?
• Have you engaged with any commercial partners? What feedback have you gotten from industry?
• What specific research milestones are you seeking to reach that are of interest to potential commercialization partners?
• How were the milestones determined? Were they requested by potential partners? Are they general industry standards?

Initial proposal submissions do have to be entered into PINS. Proposals should be sent electronically to CIFprogram1@ncsu.edu and submitted to PINS for departmental approval prior to the submission deadline.

Proposals that pass the internal screening are reviewed and scored by external subject matter experts. Innovators with proposals that best fit the evaluation criteria are invited to submit a quick project pitch as semi-finalists.

The Innovator Quick Pitch is a five minute pitch outlining the proposed CIF project and how funding will enhance the commercialization potential of the technology.

All full proposals undergo review by external subject matter experts who evaluate which projects best fit the CIF Program Criteria. This review will lead to the identification of the CIF finalists, who will be invited to give an Innovator’s Pitch Presentation in May.

Semi-finalist innovators who are not selected to move on to the finalist presentation round will receive a written summary of external reviewer comments.

Finalists will be invited to make an Innovator’s Pitch presentation to the CIF Selection Committee.

The Innovator’s Pitch is a 10-minute presentation that outlines how the proposed project will accelerate the commercialization of the underlying technology, with a brief period for questions and answers. This is not an academic presentation of the science behind the technology. The pitch should briefly describe the technology and focus on the commercial opportunity that it represents and how the CIF funding will facilitate commercialization. Innovators work with their ORC licensing professional to prepare for the pitch.

The CIF Selection Committee consists of reviewers from external partners and NC State personnel with technology development, commercialization and entrepreneurial expertise. The CIF Selection Committee will make award recommendations to the vice chancellor for research, innovation and economic development. Final CIF award selections are made by the vice chancellor and chancellor. CIF award notifications will be made to Innovators via email.

Finalist Innovators who are not selected for a CIF award will be provided with detailed written feedback from the CIF Selection Committee along with any recommended resources to support their project.