Problem Statement & Purpose

The translation of life science research discoveries out of the university setting, known as technology transfer, is of great interest to governmental funding agencies, universities, healthcare practitioners, patients, and the public in terms of improved health care and economic impact delivered by the invention. Despite the significant contribution that technology transfer can provide to these stakeholders, very little is known about the primary driver of the technology transfer process — the individual academic entrepreneur and their ability to generate intellectual property through entrepreneurial opportunity identification.

The purpose of the proposed study is to draw from existing theory in entrepreneurship to better understand the beginning stages of academic entrepreneurship. Specifically, the study will explore the relationship between knowledge gained by life science academic faculty through entrepreneurship education and their entrepreneurial alertness, resulting in an enhanced ability to identify, evaluate, and develop entrepreneurial opportunities.