Research Associate

Department: Innovation and New Ventures
Salary/Grade: RES/

Job Summary:

The InQbation Lab is Northwestern University's translational innovation hub, accelerating the commercialization of high-impact research. Through targeted programs, funding mechanisms, and strategic partnerships, we support faculty, students, and startups in bridging the gap between discovery and real-world application.

This Research Associate position will play a key role in advancing the Lab's mission to support early-stage ventures and translational research in the healthcare and biomedical space. This individual will manage and contribute to a portfolio of programs, events, and funding initiatives, while building strategic relationships with investors, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders. Programs to manage:

• MedTech Studio: Funding program that supports the development of medical devices and digital health technology with Northwestern IP with funding up to $100k in total. Due diligence on projects are conducted by Business Research Fellows over 10 weeks in the fall. Projects are tracked over 9-12 months for progress towards funded milestones.
• Business Research Fellowship: This Fellowship offers a unique 10-week opportunity to Northwestern's clinicians-in-training to gain hands-on training in conducting due diligence of early-stage medical devices and healthtech solutions, while applying key principles to evaluate their commercial potential. The Q invites FSM M3 & M4 Students to apply for this immersive experience. NM Residents and NM Fellows are also welcome to participate as consultants in a more limited capacity.
• T^3 Sprint: A 2-day diligence sprint to optimally position promising biological targets for therapeutic development. It is designed to quickly analyze potential drug targets and create actionable recommendations. Over two days, teams will evaluate chosen biological targets from Northwestern faculty labs, considering the target landscape, competitive intelligence, and key challenges. The teams will consist of Entrepreneurial Fellows from the Chicago Biomedical Consortium (CBC), advised by leaders from the CBC, Feinberg Corporate Relations, The Q, and NUCATS. At the end of the Hackathon, the analysis/recommendations will be discussed, evaluated, and optimized with an expert panel and the Principal Investigator.
• AI4Health Pitch Challenge: Funding program for PIs to pitch their own AI-enabled healthcare solutions. Kellogg students, alums and outside consultants support PIs (faculty and clinicians) in developing storytelling, pitch deck and delivery. They also work with Kellogg professors to refine their pitch. The in-person challenge offers $50k in total to help programs advance towards productization.
• Rx Factor Pitch Challenge: Similar to AI4Health but in therapeutics space.
• EIR Bridge Fund: Funding program associated with the Q Executive-in-Residence program. Up to $25k is awarded to PIs who propose 6-9 month projects based on conversations with an EIR. Progress of achieved milestones are tracked.

Entrepreneurial Bootcamps: Two-day bootcamps geared towards research scientists (PhD students and PostDocs) interested in exploring entrepreneurship. The focus of the two days will be to expose participants to what entrepreneurship looks like at both a general and more practical level. Scientists will hear from panels consisting of entrepreneurial faculty and of former PhD students and researchers who became founders of startups. Participants will learn how to think about their own research with a translational lens and, through live workshops, mock customer discovery, and collaborative brainstorming, be able to distill and communicate their technology, the value of it and the impact of it as a potential commercial product. Bootcamps are offered twice a year, one on healthcare and one on sustainability and energy.

This is a one-year term position. Opportunity for renewal will be based on performance and available funding.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Lead planning and execution of Q commercialization and funding programs including the MedTech Studio, T^3 Sprint, AI4Health Pitch Challenge, EIR Bridge Fund, and RxFactor Pitch Event
• Oversee the Q Business Research Fellowship for medical students, including recruitment of students, speakers, programming, and mentorship coordination.
• Support programs for research scientist entrepreneurs like entrepreneurial bootcamps and workshops.
• Assist in conducting due diligence on startups and technologies for funding and program participation.
• Collaborate with faculty innovators to support commercialization strategy and connect them with relevant Q resources.
• Represent the InQbation Lab at conferences and ecosystem events to build a network of investors, entrepreneurs, and executives in healthcare and life sciences.
• Identify and engage potential investors and commercialization partners aligned with Northwestern's biomedical innovation pipeline.
• Assist in conducting due diligence on startups and technologies for funding and program participation.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of InQbation Lab operations and strategic initiatives.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD in a biomedical, life science, engineering, or related field required.
• 3+ years of experience in program management, innovation, or commercialization support.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders.
• Familiarity with startup ecosystems, translational research, and technology commercialization.
• Experience conducting or supporting due diligence on early-stage technologies or ventures

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in academic innovation, venture capital, or startup acceleration.
• Knowledge of healthcare, therapeutics, or digital health sectors.
• Proficiency with CRM tools and data tracking platforms.
• Event planning and stakeholder engagement experience.

Target hiring range for this position will be between $86,000 to $95,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.