CBC Entrepreneurial Fellows (EF) Award

The CBC Entrepreneurial Fellows (EF) Award program identifies and supports the professional development of junior life sciences researchers who are keen to develop the skills and experiences needed to move translational projects from a university lab toward commercialization and potentially into a Chicago-based biotech start-up. The program exposes Fellows to a breadth of real-world experiences across the CBC institutions and connects trainees to the Chicago biomedical community. Fellows will work with CBC university investigators in preparing proposals with translational potential, be exposed to all aspects of drug discovery and early development including development of investment thesis, competitive positioning, robust project plans, timelines, budgets, regulatory requirements, and clinical strategies. The program provides an unparalleled network of peers and mentors in the bio-entrepreneurship space and a bird's eye view of the pipeline of early-stage biomedical applications. Fellows will gain exposure to fundamentals of early-stage drug development and the business of biotech while supporting the identification and program management of research programs at Northwestern, UIC, and UChicago that have therapeutic and commercial potential.