This summer, Invent@SU returns to transform undergraduate students into inventors as they design, prototype and pitch original devices. The immersive invention accelerators will be held at the Fisher Center in New York City (May 13-June 21) and on campus (July 1-Aug. 9). The program is open to all SU undergraduate students.
Applications are now open at invent.syr.edu/apply.
Invent@SU follows a proven method of developing students’ abilities to innovate and communicate. Students learn about design, ideation and intellectual property, then conceive an original invention, prototype the invention and refine it in response to weekly feedback from diverse audiences of guest evaluators.
In addition to a chance to win cash prizes of $5,000 for best invention and $3,000 for second best invention, students will receive:
- a $1,000 stipend;
- a $1,000 budget per team for project materials;
- guidance from expert consultants and evaluators;
- access to laser cutters, 3D printers, a machine shop and professional machinists;
- assistance with a provisional patent application; and
- daily lunch, coffee, and snacks.
Since the program started in in 2017, student innovators have won additional awards, started businesses, and even received funding from venture capitalists. Several Invent@SU teams have had success following the six-week experience, working with the Blackstone LaunchPad at SU:
- Panacea inventors Chao Huang ’19 and Tairan Li ’19 connected with venture capitalists who valued their company at $5 million.
- In-Spire inventors Kayla Simon ’19 and Elizabeth Tarangelo ’19 won the Panasci Business Plan competitionand the Syracuse University ACC InVenture Prize competition and were accepted into the Medical Device Innovation Challenge.
- FibreFree inventors Charles Keppler ’18 and Serena Omo-Lamai ’20 advanced to the international finals of the James Dyson awardwith their microfiber filter invention.
- L-IV inventors Quinn King ’20 and Alec Gillinder ’20 were accepted to the “Concept to Commercialization” boot campat the CNY Biotech Accelerator.
- Pneu-Strength inventors Kalia Barrow ’17 and Ruby Batbaatar ’19 tied for first place in the New York State Department of Health Aging Innovation Challenge.
To apply for the 2019 accelerators, visit invent.syr.edu/apply.