Application | MAD Lab | University of Illinois Chicago

MAD Lab reviews applications on a semi-annual basis.

Examples of past MAD Lab projects can be found here. Details on our process are outlined here. We look forward to hearing from you.

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To submit an application, please complete the form below.

Your Full Name * Required
Your Email * Required
Your Title: * Required
Your primary speciality: * Required
If other, please specify here:
Tell us about the problem or opportunity space you'd like MAD Lab to investigate: * Required
Have you performed any work towards a solution? * Required
- Yes
- No
Have you disclosed any of that work to OTM, publications, etcetera? * Required
- Yes
- No
Consent * Required
I agree to the following Terms and Conditions:
Purpose:
The purpose of this initiative is to generate intellectual property in the form of medical devices or services. Your submission will be vetted and prioritized based on three essential criteria: 1) technical feasibility, 2) real-world need, and 3) market viability.

Sponsor Requirement:
Since the project sponsor is an expert in their field, the success of the project will be based on their involvement. Therefore, if the project is accepted, the sponsor is expected to dedicate at least one hour of his/her weekly time to meetings with the MAD Lab team at the Innovation Center.

Process:
Being that intellectual property is the goal of this lab, the timeline of the process is flexible, but is scheduled between 4-6 contiguous months (2 semesters). During this timeline, MAD Lab will perform secondary and primary research to validate the proposed project. If the need and feasibility for the project is still demonstrated, MAD Lab will begin iterative prototyping and testing. At the conclusion of our process, 4 items will be produced:

1. A desirability assessment (significance of problem, validation and documentation)
2. A market assessment (competitors, potential for solution impact, commercial potential)
3. A technology assessment (existing patents/products, high-level specifications, novelty of our design)
4. Functional proof-of-concept prototype (development and documentation, initial verification testing)

These deliverables will be presented to the sponsor for submission of a disclosure to OTM, or MAD Lab can do this directly. The need for further research and/or functional verification can be explored by the sponsor as wanted after the conclusion of the MAD Lab process. For more information regarding our process, please visit MAD Lab online.

Intellectual Property:
In the event that an invention disclosure is pursued for your project, intellectual property rights are distributed according to the relative contribution of each MAD Lab member and discipline, including the project sponsor and his/her home department. This is a long-term agreement between MAD Lab and you as a possible project sponsor; ensure that you can commit to these terms as outlined above before consenting and submitting this form.

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