Innovate2Impact (I2I) Program
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute nurture a culture of innovation, research, scholarship, and education aimed at generating knowledge and technologies that promote the health and well-being of children and their families. The inventions and discoveries made in our laboratories, clinics, and in the community are to be used to serve the public at large and help us achieve our vision and mission. To bridge the gap between discovery, useful products, and technologies, Lurie Children's established the Innovate2Impact (I2I) Program as part of the Manne Research Institute. Read our president’s message about the I2I program here.
Our Innovation Program is guided by Lurie Children's Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer policy that can be found on Allconnect.
Please note that Northwestern University has a separate and distinct set of intellectual property policies. The Lurie Children’s policy is applicable, however, to all Lurie Children’s employees.
Innovation Disclosures
Innovation can take many forms and intellectual property protection may be appropriate via patents, copyrights, and/or trademarks. We also energetically pursue innovations that have significant impact on health, even if they are not protectable. The first step is to have a conversation with the I2I team. Clinicians and scientists who may have an invention will be encouraged to pursue intellectual property protection by submitting an invention disclosure form.
A Northwestern NetID is required to access the invention disclosure form. If you do not have Northwestern NetID, contact kghosh@luriechildrens.org.
Lurie Children's–Northwestern University Partnership: Role of INVO
Lurie Children's and Manne Research Institute partner with Northwestern University's Innovations and New Ventures Office (INVO). This partnership supports innovation in two ways:
- Lurie Children's and INVO use the same web-enabled invention disclosure portal. As of July 2020, only electronic submittal of invention disclosure forms is supported.
- In conjunction with I2I, INVO assists Lurie Children's in conducting outreach to promote and protect intellectual property as well as license new technologies.
Confidentiality Agreements
To protect potential intellectual property, we must be proactive about public disclosure when engaging with external parties, which includes Northwestern University employees. Before any disclosure, please reach out to kghosh@luriechildrens.org to begin the planning for external engagements and to identify if a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is required. If an NDA is required, the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) will coordinate the process. Please note that it may take up to 15 working days to negotiate NDAs.
Interested in Innovation?
Contact Kosh Ghosh, Director, Innovation Program, at kghosh@luriechildrens.org for more information about I2I or to discuss your new idea.
Tools and Education
Please explore the links below to learn more about the innovation process.
- Who are inventors? Find out here.
- What is patentable? Find out here.
- What are the key considerations for obtaining patent protection? Find out here.
- What are the types of intellectual property (IP)? Find out here.
- Can software be a medical device? Find out here.
- What is drug repurposing? Find out here.
- What are SBIR and STTR Programs? Find out here.
