NR 4ward: achieving a real-world impact through our research and innovation

Calling all staff and postgraduate researchers at?UEA and working for our partners across?Norwich Research Park?(John Innes Centre,?Earlham Institute, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,?The Sainsbury Laboratory and the Quadram Institute …

We’ve launched an exciting new programme to help you ensure your research has a real-world impact beyond academia. Our NR 4ward programme can help you develop new products, services and innovations with our support. This could lead to new academic businesses (known as “spinouts”) or other commercial routes – all with our support. Find out more in this special edition of our newsletter….

Gain new skills – learn how to maximise the impact of your research

Whatever your academic discipline, there’s a chance to gain new entrepreneurial skills through our NR 4ward programme. This can help you if you are considering translating your research into commercial developments – or if it’s something that you think may be of interest in the future. The training is also useful if you plan to apply for translational grants from UKRI where there’s a need to demonstrate the real-world impact of your work. The NR4ward programme only runs until 30 April – so don’t miss out, sign up today to take part in the training, which includes…

?Spinout Discovery - 20 February to 10 April 2025

·???????? Get a foundation in how to set up and run a successful spinout or business through this eight-week programme

·???????? With half-day masterclasses every Thursday afternoon, you’ll learn directly from active investors, experts, specialists and inspirational business founders

·???????? The course cover business strategy, financial planning, funding and investment, intellectual property protection, legal advice and, building a team – with one-to-one mentoring and networking opportunities.

·???????? See our introductory video on the programme and read our FAQs. If you’ve got any queries, you can attend our information sessions (all from 12.30pm to 1.30pm) – drop-in session at the Enterprise Centre (room 0.01) on 13 January, webinar on 14 January (through this online registration form), and drop-in session the Centrum café soft seating area on 21 January.

?Health Tech webinars and Health Sprint

·???????? Sign up for Health Tech Enterprise’s webinars on the different aspects of health technology development and commercialisation. The first of these is on “Intellectual Property, User Insights and Real-world Evaluation” on Wednesday on 15 January. Make sure you sign up in advance through our online registration form – see also our introductory film on what this webinar will cover.

·???????? If you’ve got an idea that has the potential to impact healthcare (or a related field), then apply by 24 January 2025 to pitch your idea and receive expert support and advice at the Health Tech Innovation Sprint on 19 February 2025 (all day). You’ve got the chance to win up to three days’ consultancy support to help develop your idea further (valued at up to ￡2,000).

·???????? You can also sign up for Health Tech Enterprise’s webinar on “Essentials of Health Economics” – registration form? on 29 January, “Human factors in Healthcare” – registration form ?on 20 February and “Selling to the NHS” – registration form on 11 March 2025.

·???????? Health Tech Enterprise are also holding drop-in sessions for one-to-one mentoring following each webinar, between 10am and 4pm on 16 January (Med 1.18 at UEA), 30 January (MED 1.18 at UEA) and on 19 March (QUEENS 0.10 at UEA),?

?Plant, Microbial and Food Tech drop-in and seminar sessions

·???????? Get support for plant, microbial and/or food related innovations from leading experts PBL Technology.

·???????? Sign up for the Plant Tech Seminar: Perspectives in the Translation of Plant Science – registration form on 28 January (JIC Conference Centre McClintock Seminar Room G34/ G35 - 11:00am-12:00pm)

·???????? Get one-to-one support at drop-in sessions on Microbial Tech on 23 January (1pm to 5pm at PBL Technology, Hill House), Plant Tech on 28 January (at the JIC from 12.00pm to 1.00pm directly after the seminar, then at PBL Technology, Hill House until 4.00pm) and Food Tech ?on 21 March 2025 (9.00am to 1.00pm at PBL Technology, Hill House).

?“Spinout Spark”: monthly lunch and learn sessions – free lunch provided

·???????? These sessions provide motivation and tips to budding entrepreneurs – with a free lunch provided. See our film with Fiona Nielsen, academic and serial entrepreneur, to find out more – and hear what people attending the December “Spinout Spark” session had to say

·???????? Sign up for the sessions on Finding your first customer – registration form on 22 January, ?Growing and nurturing a stellar Startup team – registration form on 12 February, and Failure as the route to success – registration form on 12 March 2025.

·???????? The programme has been co-created by Dr Soraya Jones (UEA’s Entrepreneur in Residence) and Fiona Nielsen

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Our NR 4ward programme is funded by Research England to help us build on our successful track record of innovation and spinout development. You can read more about some of UEA’s existing academic spinouts on our website.