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2007-08 STUDENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMPETITION:
Cognitive Information Processing (CIP)
 

Goals

Applying?

Intellectual Property and
Conflict of Interest

Dates

Application Guidelines

Further Information

Application

Goals

Nevada's NSF EPSCoR Program “Research Infrastructure for Nevada's Growth - Targeting Research with Uniqueness and Excellence III (RING-TRUE III)” announces opportunities for student entrepreneurial grants as part of a research and development program in Cognitive Information Processing (CIP).

Our goal is to enhance the entrepreneurial climate in Nevada by stimulating student entrepreneurship and to attract technology businesses and skilled personnel.  To achieve this goal, we will provide initial support to bring an innovative product or technology from idea to prototype and open the way to successful commercialization.
 

Applying?

Undergraduate and graduate student teams of two to five under the mentorship of one or more faculty members, preferably in CIP related areas or in business, from all NSHE institutions.  For this competition, approximately five to ten awards in the range of $1,000 to $5,000 will be available.
 

Intellectual Property and Conflict of Interest

Each participant must adhere to and abide by their institutional Intellectual Property and Conflict of Interest policies and specifically how these policies relate to any product or outcome of this entrepreneurial competition.

For your institution's information, please see one of the following websites:

Dates

  • Proposals are due on February 15, 2008 by 5:00 p.m.
     
  • Grants will be awarded by February 29, 2008.
     
  • Awardees will submit a final report which should include a prototype, documentation, and business plan on April 4, 2008.

We expect and encourage awardees to submit their plan to the 2008 Donald. W. Reynolds Governor's cup competition.

Application Guidelines

  1. Submission: Combine your application material into ONE pdf document and email this document to alice ward@nshe.nevada.edu.  The subject line on your email must be: "CIP ENT".  Each student will need to fill out and include an application form available at http://www.nevada.edu/epscor/.
     
  2. Proposal structure:
     
    • Executive Summary - 1 page.
       
    • Project/Product Description and Project Plan - 2 pages
      • What is the product innovation?  What is your intellectual capital?  How do you plan to build a prototype?  What is the potential market?  Where do you see risks and how do you plan to address them?
         
    • Financial Plan - 2 pages.
      • Who are the management team?  How do you plan to raise capital to bring the product to market?   What are your financial assumptions?   What is your cash flow?   When do you break even?
         
    • Requested Preliminary Budget and Budget Justification - 2 pages.
      • Note that NSF only allows undergraduate stipends for US citizens and permanent residents.
         
    • Resumes - 1 page per team member and 1 page per mentor.
       
  3. Review process and evaluation criteria:

    A panel of business and engineering faculty will be formed to review proposals.  Our evaluation criteria favors proposals that:

    • Demonstrate a high probability of developing innovative products with realistic commercial promise.
       
    • Show market knowledge and evidence of market interest.
       
    • Involve balanced, multidisciplinary teams that include students and mentors from engineering and business.
       
    • Involve mentors and students from traditionally underrepresented groups.
       
    • Include a plan and a budget that are reasonable and achievable.
       
    • Demonstrate strong team commitment and mentorship.
       

Further Information

Email sushil@cse.unr.edu or dascalus@cse.unr.edu for more information.