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Technology and Innovation, Vol. 19, pp. 569-576, 2018 ISSN 1949-8241 • E-ISSN 1949-825X
Printed in the USA. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.21300/19.3.2018.569
Copyright © 2018 National Academy of Inventors. www.technologyandinnovation.org

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SIXTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF INVENTORS

Kimberly A. Macuare , Todd Keiller , and Paul R. Sanberg 1,3
1
2
1 National Academy of Inventors, Tampa, FL, USA
2 Intellectual Property and Innovation, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
3 University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

This article presents highlights from the Sixth Annual Conference of the National Academy
of Inventors (NAI), which was held April 5 to 7, 2017, in Boston, MA. The NAI conference
provides an annual forum for celebrating academic invention and inventors, recognizing and
encouraging invention, and enhancing the visibility of university and non-profit research.
This year’s conference, “Recognizing Pillars of Academic Innovation,” focused on key areas
of innovation support, including public policy, industry-university partnerships, recognizing
entrepreneurial faculty, and mentoring the next generation of innovators.

INTRODUCTION off the opening session with ideas on how to catalyze
The Sixth Annual Conference of the National innovation. In her talk, Boyan focused on sparking
Academy of Inventors was held April 5 to 7, 2017, and supporting student entrepreneurship. Noting
at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf in Boston, MA. that 50% of VCU students want to be entrepreneurs,
The NAI conference provides an annual forum for she outlined several dynamic VCU initiatives that
celebrating academic invention and inventors, recog- allow students to fulfill that dream, including the da
nizing and encouraging invention, and enhancing the Vinci Center, which offers students the opportunity to
visibility of university and non-profit research. This work with corporate partners to produce real-world
products and solutions; VCU’s Innovation Gateway,
year’s conference, “Recognizing Pillars of Academic which helps students and faculty commercialize their
Innovation,” focused on key areas of innovation sup- inventions; and the senior capstone design course,
port, including public policy, industry-university which builds innovation opportunities into VCU’s
partnerships, recognizing entrepreneurial faculty, curriculum. The results have been noteworthy, with
and mentoring the next generation of innovators. VCU students developing profitable new technolo-
gies, forming start-ups, and winning major funding
SESSION A: CHANGING THE ACADEMIC awards. Brown’s talk tackled a different but equally
INNOVATION LANDSCAPE important area for innovation stimulus: funding.
On Wednesday, April 5, 2017, Barbara D. Boyan of Specifically, he outlined new models being employed
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and Mil- at Inova Schar Cancer Institute to promote innovation
ton L. Brown of Inova Schar Cancer Institute kicked in drug development by overcoming the funding gap

_____________________
Accepted: October 15, 2017.
®
Address correspondence to Kimberly A. Macuare, Ph.D., Associate Editor, Technology and Innovation, Journal of the National Academy of Inventors at the
USF Research Park, 3702 Spectrum Boulevard, Suite 165, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. Tel: +1 (813) 974-1347. E-mail: kmacuare@academyofinventors.org

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