University News

Course on Converting Scientific Research into New Business Ventures

Creighton University law, science, medical and business students are getting a real-world taste of what it takes to convert scientific research into new business ventures.

Sixteen students were enrolled in an inaugural class this spring. A three-year, $536,000 National Science Foundation Partnerships for Innovation grant funded the effort.

Titled “An Interdisciplinary University-Based Education Partnership to Support Biomedical Technology Commercialization in Nebraska,” the program involves Creighton’s College of Business, School of Law, School of Medicine and Office of Technology Transfer.

“Our goal is to create a sustainable model for training future entrepreneurs. One of the unusual aspects of this program is that it involves multiple academic disciplines as well as partnerships with the University of Nebraska Medical Center and a diverse group of public, private and nonprofit entities,” said Anthony Hendrickson, Ph.D., dean of the College of Business.

The entrepreneurship program includes two three-credit-hour courses — one in the spring and the other in the fall — and a six-credit-hour summer internship.

“The field of bioscience entrepreneurship is exploding, and yet management talent with the interdisciplinary skills needed to commercialize these discoveries is in short supply — particularly in states like Nebraska,” noted Anne York, Ph.D., Creighton associate professor of entrepreneurship, who developed the program.