Invention to Innovation: Equipping Researchers to Make an Impact

Invention to Innovation: Equipping Researchers to Make an Impact

April 17, 2024

Canada’s universities and institutes produce world-class research, but too often, their ideas and inventions don’t reach very far. Kids Brain Health Network’s host institution, Simon Fraser University, aims to change this reality with its Invention to Innovation (i2I) training programs. So far, 400 researchers — including students, post-docs, faculty and industry scientists—have strengthened their skills in entrepreneurship and commercialization through these learning opportunities. People like them, who can bridge the gap between the lab and the market, are key to unlocking science’s potential to deliver social, economic and health benefits.

In 2023, KBHN nominated and sponsored one of its own trainees to participate in the foundational i2I program, called Mitacs Invention to Innovation Skills Training. Phil Brunet is a graduate Clinical Neuropsychology student at the University of Victoria and the technical lead for the KBHN-funded Dino Island project. He wasn’t new to business planning when he enrolled in i2I, having previously co-founded a tech startup. “Still, I learned a ton,” he says. “Even when you’re familiar with a topic, it’s really beneficial to go through it in a systematic way. It helps you see where your blind spots are.”

Developed under the leadership of Dr. Sarah Macoun at the University of Victoria, Dino Island is an intervention that can improve important skills such as attention and flexible thinking in kids with neurodevelopmental disorders or brain illnesses/injuries. It consists of a tablet-based game for the child and training resources for the adult who is helping them to apply their learnings to life beyond the app. It has already impacted hundreds of families who’ve participated in various studies throughout its development. But the ultimate goal is to make it commercially available to everyone who could benefit.

I2I Skills Training sparked many fruitful exchanges between Brunet and Dr. Macoun. “One of the four courses was about business models, and that one was critical for us,” Brunet says. “It got Sarah and me talking about our business canvas, strategy, marketing approach, target customers and product offering. It has certainly accelerated our journey towards commercialization.”

In fact, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada recently award a highly competitive Lab to Market grant to Dino Island, which will help the journey to continue. “I2I did a great job of setting us up for that opportunity,” Brunet says. “It gave us the foundation we needed to write a solid application.”

In order to cover a rich curriculum and provide coaching for specific projects, i2I demands a substantial time commitment: 10 hours each week for eight months. People who are involved in the same project as the i2I participant should be prepared to invest some fruitful time and thought as well. “For example, if you need to write a discussion post about the ideal business strategy for your project, that’s not something that you want to just answer off the cuff: you want to talk with your team about it,” Brunet says.

Like all projects supported by KBHN, Dino Island also receives mentorship and resources from Simon Fraser University’s Venture Labs. “We’re committed to building implementation capacity in Canada’s research community,” says KBHN interim CEO, Geoff Pradella. “That means connecting our investigators and trainees with a rich variety of opportunities to gain the knowledge and experiences they need to make their mark in real-world settings. At the end of the day, that’s how to bring evidence-based solutions to as many children and families as possible: by moving knowledge into practice — and practice into changing lives.”

With a second Network team member now taking advantage of the i2I program, KBHN is looking to sponsor one or two more participants for the next term, which will run from September 2024 until April 2025. Network project teams are invited to nominate an individual who can commit to this career-development opportunity and who has the potential to impact the project or its product(s) by applying their learnings. Nominations should be sent to research@kidsbrainhealth.ca by May 31, 2024.