Getting Started - Faculty, Post-Docs, and Staff

Project Olympus encourages and supports entrepreneurship across Carnegie Mellon University's campus. For those startups where faculty, post-docs, or staff are licensing IP from CMU, we partner with CTTEC to supplement the range of services and support they offer.

Faculty, Post-Docs, and staff members who are interested in working with Project Olympus have a variety of options for learning more about our offerings and getting into our program. These can be used individually or in combination:

1. For those startups where faculty or staff are licensing IP from CMU, we partner with CTTEC to supplement the range of services and support they offer.
2. Project Olympus and CTTEC hold regular “Office Hours’ in Gates 6217 every Wednesday morning from 10-12. Kit Needham, and Melanie Simko from Project Olympus, and Cindy Chepanoske and Fadwa Brady from Tech Transfer are there for preliminary discussions on your business idea, possible program options, and if necessary, steps for filing and licensing IP from CMU. While not necessary, reviewing or completing the Business Concept Template beforehand is recommended.
3. For those that are ready to work with Project Olympus directly, complete the Business Concept Template. A meeting will be arranged with an Entrepreneur-in-Residence to discuss your startup and work with you on a one-on-one basis. Note that Project Olympus does not have any fees or require any equity for our services.
4. NSF I-Corps program: The National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program helps university-based researchersinvestigate the commercial potential of their STEM-related technology. You may be eligible to participate in regional I-Corps short courses either at CMU or our Hub affiliate partners or consider applying to the National Teams Participation in an I-Corps program is also extremely helpful in developing a commercialization plan for those applying for SBIR/STTR grants. See here for more information or contact Melanie Simko, Program Manager at msimko@andrew.cmu.edu.
5. Innovation Commercialization Fellows (ICF): This program was created to help graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and research assistants working with faculty learn how to turn their research into a commercial business. See here for more information or contact Melanie Simko, Program Manager at msimko@andrew.cmu.edu.