The Engagement & Opportunity Development team (EOD) at UCSF Innovation Ventures engages faculty and develops business opportunities for new ventures around select technologies. EOD takes a market-first approach by identifying a product or products and defining potential market opportunities upfront.  The EOD’s Business Development Internship Program offers students and postdocs the opportunity to gain exposure to market opportunity analysis, competitive landscape analysis and building go-to-market strategy for start-ups. The internship program’s goal is to provide an enriching educational opportunity for students

Eligibility: Interns should be enrolled in or have completed a graduate-level program in life sciences or biomedical engineering or related fields, or business. Interns will sign a non-disclosure agreement prior to the internship.

Time commitment: 5-10 hrs/week

Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Please send your resume and cover letter to [email protected]. 

The Program Analyst will work with the Catalyst Program and InVent Fund teams at Innovation Ventures at UCSF in supporting faculty in advancing projects along the translational pathway to commercialization and patent benefit in the product development areas of therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, digital health, and biotools.  Get exposed and involved with cutting-edge translational science projects at UCSF and help them move along the translational pathway to licensing or formation of a venture-backed startup company.  Have the opportunity to participate in discussions and learn from experienced industry advisors about critical considerations for project translation to successful products and companies. 

Required Qualifications

•    Bachelor's degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training

•    Strong communication skills including active listening and critical thinking. Highly developed political acumen skills and social perceptiveness. Skilled business development tactics to persuade and influence

•    Ability to work with a diverse group at all levels of the organization including faculty, staff, students, and industry partners. Strong sense of ethical conduct that will inspire confidence and motivation

•    Productive in work volume, speed, quality, and consistency. Ability to see projects through to completion on deadline and satisfy industry partner and University goals

•    Ability to perform all commonly applicable functions in the Microsoft Suite. Effectively uses software applications specific to industry alliance

•    Ability to break down complex concepts and communicate them in an understandable way

Learn more and apply! 

External UCSF candidates apply here

Internal UCSF candidates apply here

The UCSF Catalyst Awards Internship Program provides an opportunity to learn about translational research and the process of advancing academic discoveries along the translational path to commercialization and patient benefit. The internship runs parallel to the Catalyst Awards Program and allows the interns to participate in the activities of the Catalyst Awards Program, the review process, and the interactions between the academic researchers and industry experts mentoring the projects along their development. Product tracks include therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices, digital health, and biotools.

Eligibility: UCSF graduate and professional school students, postdoctoral and clinical fellows, residents, and Masters in Translational Medicine (MTM) students, as well as law, engineering, and business students from neighboring universities are invited to participate. Learn more and apply! 

The Licensing Internship Program in UCSF’s Office of Technology Management (OTM) offers exposure to technology commercialization and intellectual property management. Interns work with UCSF’s Business Development & Licensing Managers in the early stages of technology assessment. The goal of the program is to support the Business Development & Licensing team while providing a valuable educational and career experience for interns.

Eligibility: Interns should be enrolled in or have completed a graduate-level program in life science, medical science, biomedical engineering or related field of health science. Interns should be local to the San Francisco Bay Area and/or part of the UCSF community. Successful candidates will have:

· Scientific acumen and an ability to communicate science to all audiences

· Strong written and verbal communication skills

· Interest in broad areas of healthcare and life sciences

· Interest in the business of innovation

· Interest in intellectual property

· Enthusiasm for translating university inventions into commercially available products

Duties and Expectations: Interns assist in the following aspects of new invention review:

· Perform patentability assessments

· Perform competitive landscape and market intelligence analysis

· Draft non-confidential marketing materials

· Manage marketing campaigns to attract licensees

We expect our interns to commit 10 hours per week for at least six months. Most work may be completed remotely. Interns will sign confidentiality agreements before beginning work.

Timeline: We have two cohorts per year. Applications for each cohort are accepted on a rolling basis prior to the start of each cohort. The deadline for the January cohort is January 15 and the deadline for the August cohort is July 15.

Apply: Send your resume and cover letter to [email protected] and [email protected].