Apply by October 31 for ORNL's Innovation Crossroads entrepreneurship program

Applications are now being accepted for Cohort 6 of the Innovation Crossroads program operated by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Technology innovators may apply through October 31 at https://innovationcrossroads.ornl.gov/apply

Innovation Crossroads is an innovative program that serves as a platform for supporting and mentoring entrepreneurial researchers whose early-stage innovations are presently too challenging or technically uncertain to pursue in a venture capital-financed startup. Innovation Crossroads embeds innovators at ORNL for up to two years through entrepreneurial mentorship and cooperative research and development. This unique fellowship opportunity allows selected innovators to leverage the lab's scientific facilities, equipment, capabilities, and experts to advance their early-stage scientific discoveries into potentially commercialize-able opportunities within an accelerated period of time.

The program is supported by ORNL, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office, and Building Technologies Office, as well as the Tennessee Valley Authority,

Technology innovators are selected into the program through an annual competition. The Innovation Crossroads program intends to provide selected technology innovators with scientific/technical mentorship and access to unique R&D assets and scientific expertise at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a DOE national laboratory, to incubate and translate innovations from proof-of-concept to proof-of-product.

Informational webinars related to Cohort 6 will be held on October 12 and October 21. Register here: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/d8d407defbf34f29945514348bf20756

Innovators selected for Cohort 6 will receive:

* A two-year fellowship with a yearly living stipend of $78,900 to $89,000, along with a health insurance stipend and professional development allowance (e.g., travel funding, educational training and development, customer discovery activities);

* World-class lab access and research funding that includes unparalleled access to facilities, research tools, equipment, and expertise at ORNL along with R&D funding to support collaboration opportunities with researchers across the lab; and

* Business mentors, entrepreneurial training, and networking in addition to exposure to a wide range of leaders from academia, industry, government, and finance that can serve as advisors and partners.

Technology areas of interest include:

* Advanced manufacturing

* Atmospheric decarbonization

* Building technologies

* Digital economy

* Electrification and energy infrastructures

* Energy technology innovation

* Industry decarbonization

* Intelligent systems and facilities

For acceptance into the program, applicants must:

* Apply as an individual, not as a company or organization

* Have a PhD or equivalent experience

* Leverage ORNL R&D capabilities and have an impact on the Department of Energy and/or Tennessee Valley Authority mission

* Be willing to relocate to the Knoxville-Oak Ridge area for 2-years

* Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident at time of application

* Have raised no more than $2M USD in debt or equity funding from non-government sources within 3 years prior to program application

* Successfully execute a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with ORNL

* Disclose background intellectual property rights, if necessary, that may be needed to freely operate on R&D related tasks as outlined within the CRADA