Innovation & Industry Partnerships
Innovation Ecosystem
Innovation & Industry
Partnerships
WesternU's Office of Research Outreach serves as a central hub for transforming research into real-world applications — connecting faculty innovators with the resources, partners, and pathways needed to bring discoveries to market.
How It Works
A Full-Cycle Innovation Ecosystem
From the moment you have an idea worth protecting to the day your product reaches market, the Office of Research Outreach supports every step of the journey.
01 Protect Your Innovation 02 Concept-to-Market 03 Vector Health Accelerator 04 Find a Partnership 05 Technologies & Startups
Step 01
Protect Your Innovation
Document your discovery through a formal Invention Disclosure to establish priority and explore commercialization pathways with WesternU's IP team.
Step 02
Concept-to-Market (C2M)
Competitive seed grants of $5,000–$20,000 to fund feasibility studies, prototype development, and early-stage validation. Rolling submissions accepted year-round.
Step 03
Vector Health Accelerator
A structured 12-week curriculum bridging the "Innovation Gap" with evidence-based differentiation, pitch toolkits, and strategic commercialization resources.
Step 04
Find a Partnership
Connect with industry collaborators through our Tradespace.io-powered matching platform. Post your research interests and find the right organizational partner.
Step 05
Technology Inventory
Browse WesternU's portfolio of licensable technologies and faculty innovations available for commercialization through sponsored research or licensing agreements.
Step 05
WesternU Startups
Transforming ideas into reality — follow the journey of faculty and alumni startups born out of WesternU research and supported by the Office of Research Outreach.
Start Your Journey
Where to Begin as a Faculty Innovator
Foundation
File an Invention Disclosure
Before sharing your work publicly or with industry partners, document your innovation through WesternU's formal disclosure process. This establishes priority and opens the door to IP protection and commercialization support.
Validation
Apply for C2M Seed Funding
Use Concept-to-Market funding to de-risk your innovation with proof-of-concept experiments, market research, or prototype development. Applications are rolling and awards typically take 4–6 weeks to process.
Acceleration
Enter the Vector Health Accelerator
Strengthen your commercialization strategy with structured curriculum, expert mentors, and a cohort of fellow WesternU innovators navigating the path from lab to market.
Scale
Connect with Industry Partners
Use the Tradespace partnership-matching platform to identify organizations aligned with your research area. Budget templates, collaboration agreements, and clinical research partnership frameworks are available through our office.
Let's Talk
Have a Discovery Worth Protecting?