idea 2 IMPACT: An Introduction to Translating Assistive Health Technologies and Other Products

Welcome to Idea 2 IMPACT: Translating Assistive Health Technologies and Other Products, where you'll learn how to translate scientific research to innovations that benefit humankind. idea 2 IMPACT (i2I) is an online, 6-week course that will guide you step by step through the experience of developing an innovative and entrepreneurial idea in assistive technology (AT), biomedical technology, and other types of technologies. The course is for academic research scientists, early-stage entrepreneurs, clinicians, and practitioner-researchers (rehabilitation engineers, OTs, PTs, MDs, PhDs, fellows, medical or other graduate-level students, undergraduates, faculty, and post-docs) who are new to entrepreneurship, and interested in translating research into practical applications to get their product or ideas to the intended audience. Each week, you will focus on a stage of the translational process to identify a problem, analyze stakeholders, define a solution, describe its benefits, research the competition, articulate differentiators and create an action plan.

What is the problem you're solving? Who does it affect, and how do they view it? Are you sure the problem needs to be solved? How do you know? These are some of the questions we'll be asking in this module. In addition, who is impacted by the problem you've identified and the solution you'd like to propose? How do different stakeholders experience the problem differently? Have you identified all of the relevant stakeholders?

What solution are you proposing to address the problem you've identified? Is it a medical device? a drug? an app? Why is it important to be very precise in identifying what your solution is, how it works, and how it solves the problem? Find out in this module.

You've identified a problem. You've identified stakeholders. You've outlined a solution and articulated its benefits. Now it's time to dig more deeply into who (or what) is offering a competing solution. Do you know who your competition is? Are you sure? Find out how to identify and analyze competitors in this module.