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Inventor of the Year (IOY) — Accepting Applications

Application Deadline: Monday, November 19, 5:00 pm CST

The Inventor of the Year Award honors an outstanding inventor or team of inventors at University of Illinois at Chicago who have made a contribution to the development of intellectual property that significantly impacts their field and society. The award is given based on the criteria of creativity, novelty, and the commercial benefit to society.

The award will be presented during the Researcher and Scholar of the Year Award Ceremony, held on February 6, 2019.

Download the Nomination Award Application

Submission Instructions Heading link

Nomination material should include a completed Nomination Award Application and a statement explaining why the nominee should be considered for the UIC Inventor of the Year Award. You may include, but are not limited to, a brief background of the inventor, a description of the invention, status of the intellectual property and licensing, and the impact and value the invention has made to the field and society. Please do not exceed 750 words.

OPTIONAL: No more than three (3) pages of other materials supporting the candidate’s achievements, such as professional and/or press articles.

Please submit the completed UIC Inventor of the Year Award Application to OTMAWARD@uic.edu

Nomination Process & Criteria Heading link

The awards are open to any UIC faculty member who has engaged with the UIC OTM through the invention disclosure process. The nominee must be a primary inventor or creator of a UIC technology disclosure for which a significant research effort conducted at UIC contributed to the advancement of knowledge in the field.

Nominations may be submitted by anyone from the UIC community who is knowledgeable about a successful UIC Inventor. Self-nominations are also encouraged.

Selection Criteria Heading link

An internal University committee will serve in selecting the UIC Inventor of the Year. The Committee will be made up of tech managers and members from diverse disciplines, many of whom are distinguished university professors. The Committee will review all nominations and deliberate on whom has shown outstanding commitment in developing a groundbreaking invention.
The Committee will make their selection based on the status of the intellectual property and licensing in regards to the following criteria:

  • The nominee’s invention has the potential to significantly impact, or has already made impact and brought value, to their field and society;
  • The nominee’s contribution to, and influence on, the University and field;
  • The nominee’s performance, creativity, and commitment demonstrated throughout the invention and commercialization process;
  • The invention’s potential for further development and commercialization/adoption.

Key Dates Heading link

Application Deadline: Monday, November 19, 2018, 5:00 pm CST
Awards Ceremony: Wednesday, February 6, 2019 at the Researcher and Scholar of the Year Award Ceremony.