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Did You Know?

Drexel Applied Innovation offers resources to help you expand the impact of your research through comprehensive technology transfer services!

  • IP & Agreements: PROTECT Drexel innovation and innovators through IP development and high-quality license agreements
  • Industry Engagement: CONNECT Drexel IP and their inventors to industry’s unmet needs and innovation challenges
  • Entrepreneurial Development: PROMOTE impact-oriented mindset within the Drexel research enterprise, offering startup support and funding programs

NSF I-Corps Hub, Northeast Region. Logo shows a multicolored circle with an arrow pointing northeast.

FACULTY MEMBERS: Expand the impact of your innovation through NSF I-Corps!

  • Immersive, experiential program
  • Explore the question: “Given my innovation, who would care about it the most, why, and by how much” with the members of your lab (postdocs and PhD students)
  • Applicable to a wide variety of research-based innovations
  • Prior NSF Funding is NOT required!
  • GET INVOLVED
    • NOVUS
      • Learn the basics
      • Half-day program followed by self-paced introductory coursework
    • PROPELUS (REGIONALS)
      • Four sessions (online) guiding you through customer discovery research – customer, problem, solution and value proposition testing
      • $3,000 NSF grant
    • NATIONALS
      • Seven weeks/15 hr per week commitment
      • Engage with prospective customers, partners, and others in the ecosystem
      • $50,000 NSF grant
  • Opens the door for
    • Help with your future grant proposals
      • “Broader Impacts” - NSF and NIH - A summary paragraph describes the expected broader societal, commercial and educational outcomes of the proposed project.”
    • Expanding your rolodex of industry contacts
      • During I-Corps, you would be connecting with at least 100 industry companies and stakeholders
    • Exploring forming a startup
    • Access to Drexel Express Startup License
      • Startup and investor friendly licensing agreement with pre-set terms to eliminate barriers and open the doors for commercialization pathways
      • For more information, click here.
    • Many other potential beneficial outcomes

stylized images of people learning, building, and reinvesting money

Drexel Innovation Fund: How it Works

  • Hands-on venture capital learning experience for students
  • Invests in Drexel innovators and technology addressing the world's most pressing challenges
  • Evergreen fund - reinvests all returns into future startups

Receive $150,000 to accelerate your entrepreneurial endeavor and shorten the time to the first round of professional investor capital with the Drexel University Innovation Fund!

  • Invests in both Drexel student and tech transfer startups
    • Investment candidates: NSF I-Corps, Drexel Coulter Translational Research program, Baiada incubator, Drexel Startups Fund, ic@3401, etc.
    • Investment size = $150K per company; up to 4 investments per year
  • “Early stage”
    • University to play the role of a “friends and family” investor; often too early stage for investors who are only focused on financial returns
    • Often the first check into the company

"This is a bold new initiative to empower our problem solvers to dream big and take on society’s most pressing challenges. We are doubling down on our entrepreneurial talent and research innovations." --President, John Fry

Applied Innovation Logo

Connect with Drexel Applied Innovation to chart your journey.

Drexel Applied Innovation would love to hear what you’re working on and discuss next steps!

DAI will work with you to evaluate your invention, assess whether it might be of interest to industry/investors/entrepreneurs, protect it with intellectual property, market it, negotiate agreements, etc.

Questions? Email Applied_Innovation@drexel.edu.

Study closures should be reported to the IRB via a final report in COEUS when the human subjects research, including research that has received an exempt determination, is permanently closed to enrollment, all subjects have completed all protocol related interventions and interactions, and the collection and analysis of private identifiable information is complete.

Reporting that a study has been completed is best practice for several reasons:

  1. Permits the institution and Drexel University’s HRPP to maintain accurate metrics, appropriately respond to monitoring or audit inquiries or accounting requests relevant to its human subject research portfolio,
  2. Provides a start date on the record retention timeline required by the FDA, OHRP, HIPAA, and Drexel University’s records retention policy (OGC-4 Records Retention Policy) and records retention schedule [PDF],
  3. Allows the institution to properly manage and transfer IRB oversight to another IRB when necessary.

The Office for Human Research Protection (OHRP) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) require IRBs to function under written procedures. These procedures include keeping the IRB informed of study completion and close out to ensure record retention in compliance with 45 CFR 46.115(b) and/or 21 CFR 56.115(b). Additionally, per the FDA [21 CFR 56.108(a)(3)] procedures require ensuring "prompt reporting to the IRB of changes in a research activity." The completion of the study is a change in activity and should be reported to the IRB and the information provided may be used in the evaluation and approval of related studies. 

If Drexel investigators are relying on an external IRB, that IRB is responsible for indicating when the site’s IRB approval status has changed. The reliance agreement will typically require the reviewing IRB to inform our site/investigator when changes in the status of our site approval occur, and closing the study with the IRB is a change that is reported. When correspondence from the reviewing IRB has been received indicating the Drexel site has been closed and no longer carries approval by the reviewing IRB, the closure should be submitted via COEUS so that the project’s record may be closed with the Drexel IRB. 

The process for submitting a final report is the same as submitting for a continuing review. Reference the COEUS Lite - How to Submit Continuing Reviews (Renewals) [PDF] document for a step-by-step guide with screenshots.

Questions? Email the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) at hrpp@drexel.edu.

What are considered research advertisements and recruitment materials?

Research advertisements and recruitment materials are participant facing documents or electronic media that are used to invite participants to join a research study. Recruitment materials can include but are not limited to flyers, social media posts, emails, letters, telephone recruitment scripts, study brochures, and recruitment videos to name a few.

Recruitment materials may be shared through various methods which may include electronic and hard copy media. The IRB reviews recruitment methods and the advertisements and to do so requires that they be included in the IRB submission along with any related scripts. Recruitment materials should be approved by the IRB prior to sharing with potential participants.

Please be aware there may be additional permissions required from the research site(s) or other gatekeepers to advertise for research recruitment. It is the investigators responsibility to maintain the records of permission and to ensure that any appropriate gatekeeper approval was obtained.

When creating your recruitment materials please keep the following guidelines in mind:

Recruitment materials should include the following information:

  • The name and contact information of the investigator (must use Drexel email)
  • A statement that the study involves research
  • The location of the research (if the study is limited to online participation please state)
  • The time commitment required of the participants
  • A brief description of the research and what participation entails

Recruitment materials should not:

  • Include Exclamation points and catchy words like “free” or “exciting.”
  • Include exculpatory language, which would imply the participant is made to waive or appear to waive any of their legal rights, or releases or appears to release the investigator, the sponsor, the institution, or its agents from liability for negligence
  • Compensation is not emphasized (through use of bold type, larger font, exclamation points, or inclusion in subject lines or tag lines). The ad may simply indicate that compensation will be provided. Note: compensation should also not be listed as a benefit of the research.
  • No claims should be made, either explicitly or implicitly, that the drug, biologic or device is safe or effective for the purposes under investigation, or that the test article is known to be equivalent or superior to any other drug, biologic or device.
  • No promises to receive "free medical treatment"

The IRB submission and protocol should thoroughly describe the recruitment plan the investigator intends to follow along with copies of any and all advertisements or recruitment materials. 

Questions? Email the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) at hrpp@drexel.edu.

Did you know that the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) is now accepting submissions to its Mission Office-specific ISOs?

Mission Office-specific ISOs allow ARPA-H to fund health-related technology research and development outside of the traditional grant or contract structure by using solicitations designed for cooperative agreements and "other transactions" for flexibilities outside of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. 

All you need to do is submit an Abstract, and if interested, you will be invited to submit a full proposal.

The four ISO solicitations are: Health Science Futures, Proactive Health, Resilient Systems, and Scalable Solutions.

Questions? Email Research Development at researchdevelopment@drexel.edu.

Did You Know About the ORI's Research Business Operations & Technology (RBOT) Team?

The Research Business Operations & Technology (RBOT) team was formed in 2023 by merging the ORI Finance & Administration (F&A) team with the ORI Research Systems & Analytics (RS&A) to create a single administrative entity with increased alignment and efficiency. Our mission is to provide the foundation for operational and cultural excellence within the ORI.

The RBOT team focuses on operational support for ORI’s functional teams, as well as University research reporting, COEUS and DragonSPOT support and training, and system implementation/management (COEUS Replacement Project). Please find a couple updates on our recent work below:

COEUS Replacement Project (CRP)

We've made great progress preparing for the kickoff of our Novelution implementation. Contracting is moving along, and we are engaged with the vendor on project planning and other preparations. We’re currently projecting a mid-September start date and look forward to the vast improvements the new system will bring to all members of the Drexel research community! Please feel free to reach out to Doug Stay at douglas.r.stay@drexel.edu with any questions.

ORI Clinical Research Services

ORI’s RBOT team offers payment options for Drexel clinical and non-clinical research studies through two different payment platforms, Clin Card and Concourse. Clin Card is used for clinical research studies in conjunction with the University’s CTMS (Clinical Trial Management System), Clinical Conductor. Concourse is managed through a partnership with JP Morgan Chase and can be used for both clinical and non-clinical research studies.

Drexel has leveraged the Clin Card payment platform for over 8 years by providing a simple, non-cash option for participant payments. Participants receive a debit card loaded with their incentive payments for each visit they complete in a study. Once activated and loaded, the participant can use it like a debit card.

The University has used the cashless payment platform Concourse (formerly known as Quick Pay) since 2020. Concourse has grown tremendously throughout Drexel since its implementation. There are currently 108 studies utilizing the system to manage incentive payments and Community Advisory Board Members (CAB) stipends. After initial setup of a secure account with JP Morgan Chase, study participants and CAB members receive ACH deposits into the bank account of their choice.  

To learn more about these cashless payment options for your clinical and non-clinical research studies please contact Jeannine Reed-Heil in RBOT at jeannine.reed-heil@drexel.edu.

Questions? Email Doug Stay, Assistant Vice Provost, Research Business Operations & Technology, at douglas.r.stay@drexel.edu.