16 March 2012

Young researchers 'Venture' forth for £5000 award

Photo opportunity - 3pm, Thursday March 22nd
Enterprise House, Greenmarket Dundee
Presentation of awards by Dr Jim McGeorge

Young researchers at the University of Dundee will compete for up to £5000 seed money to turn their ideas into commercial applications next week as the 2012 Venture Programme competition reaches its finale.

The Venture Programme is open to early career and postgraduate researchers at the University and is aimed at those who are interested in developing their research or exploring the commercialisation possibilities for their ideas.

Professor Pete Downes, Principal of the University, said, "This year's Venture Competition builds upon last year's successful event which was nominated for a Times Higher Education award. It celebrates and develops the entrepreneurial skills of our research postgraduates and early career researchers.

"The ideas range across medical and computing technologies to ideas of sociological interest mirroring the breadth of university research. It is refreshing to see these ideas emerging from our young researchers who want their research to have an impact on the society that supports it."

Participants in the programme take part in a series of workshops and mentoring sessions, organised by the Organisational and Professional Development unit, giving them an insight into how research can lead to business development.

For the final session, seven of the successful business ideas will be pitched by individual and team entrants for the top prize of up to £5000 seed money and office space for a year in the University's Greenhouse Incubator unit, which supports new business start-ups.

Judging of the final session will be carried out by a panel of experts including Kevin Bazley, Senior Manager at Scottish Enterprise; Dr Howard Marriage, Director at Aquila Biomedical Ltd; and Dr Norman Alm, Co-founder and Director of CIRCA Connect and Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Computing at Dundee University.

There will also be an opportunity to hear from Dr Lee Baker of the Department of Surgery and Molecular Oncology, who was last year's competition winner. This year's award(s) will be made by the University Secretary, Dr Jim McGeorge.

The event takes place on Thursday March 22nd from 10.30 am to 3 pm at Enterprise House, Dundee.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
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University of Dundee
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