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Strategies to take your research to market impact

In May 2020, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and UW CoMotion co-hosted a virtual professional development event focused on helping postdocs explore ways to commercialize your research products (check out the full recording). Four scientists in various entrepreneurial stages shared their insights on how to effectively take their research from discovery to market. 

Briefly, there are four major paths of research distribution: license innovation to an existing company or a new start-up, building an internal business at UW, and open distribution. Prior to making any decisions, consider the implications of each path, including risk, personal commitment, types of financial return, degree of control, and your ability to achieve success and independence. UW CoMotion provides guidance on innovation training, IP advising, protection & licensing, start-ups & incubator, funding & partnerships. You can always schedule an appointment to discuss which path works best for you.
Here, we summarize three strategies to assist you as you consider commercializing your research efforts.

Assess your interest and values. Are you interested in teamwork, creating a business model, or understanding the market demand of a certain product? Do you value the market impact of your research product and have a desire to start a business? Starting a company involves more than one person – you will need to collaborate and share similar values and goals with your partner (or partners). The ultimate goal of commercialization is to turn your research into a product with market value and make a difference! Spend time discussing common values, goals, and expectations. Remember, there’s no single path to success. Your goal is to create a product that has an impact – commit to a plan, but be willing to modify your path as you move through different stages of product and company development. Check out the 10 simple rules to commercialize scientific research.

Identify your support network. At the OPA, we strongly encourage you to build a mentoring team, regardless of your career aspirations. You need a support network of people who can assist you in different ways. This is particularly important on the pathway to commercialization, as you will end up needing to learn from experts in the business, legal, and industrial sectors. If your mentors are all from your academic life, you might consider branching out. Both Life Science Washington and UW CoMotion offer mentoring programs.

Time management and planning. Starting a business will feel daunting, and you will find yourself juggling among many unfamiliar responsibilities. Time management and planning are critical to making sure you are on track. There are time-sensitive steps (e.g., finding co-founders) that you need to accomplish as early as possible. You will likely need to acquaint yourself with new knowledge outside of your specific area of expertise, and you’ll need to build a collaborative team to accomplish your goals. These all demand your time and effort, which will feel increasingly constrained as you move your product and ideas from the bench to business. Check out tips on time management for start-up founders.

Last but not least, engaging in the entrepreneurial process has many benefits to your career development. For example, you will learn how to do translational research, tell a story about your research, and communicate to a diverse audience. You will also have the opportunity to expand your network as you explore the potential market impact of your research. It’s an exciting opportunity to fully apply all of the skills you developed during your graduate and postdoctoral research. 

GO-MAP and interdisciplinary students named to the Husky 100

Mollie McDonnell
Erin Lee

A big congratulations to Erin Lee and Mollie McDonnell, two students within the Graduate School’s programs who were named to the Husky 100 for 2020. They were two of 100 students honored across UW’s three campuses this year for their work building inclusive communities. Erin is a Graduate Staff Assistant for GO-MAP,* a Graduate School office that supports students of underrepresented backgrounds through their graduate education. Erin is also earning a Master of Public Health, where she works to eliminate racial disparities in health care, especially for women of color. Mollie is a doctoral student in Molecular and Cellular Biology, one of the Graduate School’s Interdisciplinary Programs. Mollie has been an advocate for inclusivity at Fred Hutch, working as a supportive mentor for young scientists. We’re so proud of the dedication and care Erin and Mollie bring to higher education and their communities!

*GO-MAP was the name of a program that is now called GSEE, the Office of Graduate Student Equity & Excellence. Learn more.

In Memory of Dr. Gabriel Gallardo

Dr. Gabriel Gallardo, associate vice president for student success of the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity (OMA&D), has passed away. Dr. Gallardo was also a staunch supporter of GO-MAP, and everyone at the Graduate School mourns this loss. Read more >

Lecture library

Video Lectures

Morris Dees: Responding to Hate: Voices of Hope and Tolerance

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After witnessing firsthand the painful consequences of
prejudice and racial injustice, Morris Dees co-founded the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in 1971 — a nonprofit organization specializing in lawsuits involving civil rights violations and racially motivated crimes. In this talk,
Dees discusses his book, “Gathering Storm: America’s Militia Threat,” and offers strategies to combat domestic terrorism. This lecture was originally presented on January 23, 2001.

Vandana Shiva: Ahimsa: Beyond Violent Traditions of Science and Technology

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Vandana Shiva advocates an approach that is based on the principle of ahimsa – meaning non-violence or harmlessness, drawing on the ethics of ecological and feminist thought that promotes diversity and pluralism in knowledge, action, nature and culture. Shiva is a world-renowned environmental thinker and activist. In 1991, she founded Navdanya, a national movement to protect diversity and integrity of living resources. Navdanya sets up community seed banks, supports conversion to organic agriculture, and is establishing direct producer-consumer links for food security and safety. This lecture was originally presented on April 17, 2001.

Audio Lectures

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Julie Lythcott-Haims is the author of the New York Times best-selling book How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success (2015) and Real American: A Memoir (2017). She is deeply interested in what prevents people from living meaningful, fulfilling lives.

Click here for lecture transcriptDownload

News correspondent and journalist Maria Hinojosa has spent decades reporting on immigration and the treatment of immigrants – both documented and undocumented – by law enforcement organizations. In this lecture, she will give powerful witness to the routine denial of due process to immigrants and its effect on our broader society. This lecture was originally presented on November 1, 2017.

Click here for lecture transcriptDownload

Data can be a powerful tool for fighting systemic racism and police violence. In this lecture, Sam Sinyangwe will present strategies for using data to support organizing campaigns focused on equity and justice in the United States.

Click here for lecture transcriptDownload

Many look to “the school” as the great equalizer, a meritocracy where equal opportunity is realized. For communities of color, this is often far from the truth. Throughout history, each time communities of color have made progress toward equal educational opportunity, a major societal pushback has caused the loss of gains that appeared won. In this talk, Joy Williamson-Lott looks to history to show how we can work toward real progress. This lecture was originally presented on February 15, 2017.

Take care of yourself during stressful times

Even in the best of times, completing your postdoc fellowship can be stressful. And, we can all agree that with the uncertainty around COVID-19, our collective stress level has increased. Beyond the normal worries (e.g., will my experiments work, will I be scooped, will I find a job after my postdoc, etc.), we are now concerned about how changes to campus operations may impact our research progress. Further, we are uncertain of the consequences that coronavirus may have on us at a personal level, as well as our family and loved ones. Simply put, these can make us feel more mentally stressed.

The growing mental health concerns in the graduate student population have received increasing attention in the past few years (see Nature, 2019, PhDs: the tortuous truth; Nature Biotechnology, 2018, Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education; and CBE-Life Sciences Education, 2019, Burnout and Mental Health Problems in Biomedical Doctoral Students, among others). And, just because you’re no longer a graduate student, it doesn’t mean that all of the mental health concerns go away once you transition to your postdoc position (see Science, 2014, The stressed-out postdoc). 

It’s important to remember that it’s normal not to feel 100% all the time. However, when the burdens of anxiety, depression, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and harassment become overwhelming, it’s OK to seek help. 
UW recently re-designed our Health & Well-being website to provide a one-stop-shop for all relevant resources you might find helpful for your needs. For example, consult with the Counseling Center and they will provide you with referrals if you require long-term counseling. There are also resources to support your well-being and safety on campus. If you want to discuss events in your life or research group, reach out to the Office of the Ombud. When in doubt, simply contact the SafeCampus 24/7 helpline (206- 685-SAFE), and trained professionals are ready to support you. 

There are also a number of online resources and support groups that you can explore to find the community that best suits your needs.

We all are responsible for supporting each other. We encourage all of you to be open about how common it is to experience issues related to mental health and to normalize and destigmatize the seeking of mental health care. Let’s support each other as you consider different career paths. Try reaching out to people who you think might be struggling and share some wellness tips with them, such as getting more sleep, doing exercise, cultivating a sense of purpose, and finding one’s community. For more tips, please read The Conversation (Meghan Duffy, 2018). With the support of the UW community, we will get through these trying times. 

Pursuing passion projects: One way to make the most out of postdoc training

In the December 2019 newsletter, we shared why and how we can pursue our passions. Here, we introduce one way of pursing your passion without burning you out – through passion projects.

Passion projects refer to projects that you pursue, typically in your spare time, to enrich your life. There are many reasons to start a passion project during postdoctoral training. You can utilize passion projects to learn or enhance certain skills (see 7 essential skills that recruiters are looking for in PhDs), apply your strengths and/or talents (for example, your current research project might not require you to dance, but you are a great dancer), or to establish new skills and experiences as you set out on a new or different career path (see story about Postdoc Brewing Company). Ultimately, passion projects help to keep you motivated. If you didn’t have an opportunity to pursue passion projects while in graduate school, now it’s a great time to start. Here is some advice as you explore your passion.

  • Passion projects need to be time-bound.

Research projects tend to take a long time. As postdocs, you shouldn’t take on a passion project as a second job. Once you identify something you’re interested in, these short-term projects need to be much less time demanding, with a defined start and end date. Besides, you will experience gratification by accomplishing your goal sooner. For example, if you are interested in strengthening your Python coding skills, enrolling in an online course or following a YouTube channel with a structured course can be time-bound options.

  • Passion projects encourage collaboration with people outside your area of expertise.

It’s easy to spend all your time with your lab mates during work hours and your family or friends during spare time. Try starting a passion project with people outside of your normal circle, such as colleagues from a different lab or outside of academia entirely. Consider meeting some fellow postdocs from your postdoc association (reach out to UW Postdoc Association) – this is a wonderfully supportive community, and you have more in common than you think!

  • Passion projects expand your network.

Networking is very important in the job search process. In support of your long term success, it is helpful to start networking early. Passion projects provide opportunities for you to connect with people outside of your normal network. Stay in touch with the people you meet in the process, and reach out for an informational interview if you are interested in learning more about their different career paths and life decisions. Finally, pursue your passion projects intentionally to help you transition throughout your career. Passion projects may not be related to your current research interests, but you are sure to learn something new. Importantly, keep a record of challenges you faced and the solutions that supported your success. You will find countless opportunities to apply these skills and lived-experiences later in your career and life. Dr. Dan Moseson, a member of Graduate Career Consortium, shared his insights about pursuing passion projects on Inside Higher Ed. This might inspire you to initiate or collaborate on a passion project soon, “Being an academic made me a better DJ, and being a DJ showed me a fluid, improvisational side of myself that seems to be the source of my best professional work.”


Additional Resources: 

How do you find your passion?

As we transition into the holiday season in 2019 and spending more time with beloved ones, you’re likely to be asked some variation of the following question: “what are you going to do after you finish your postdoc?” As we reflect upon what comes next, we are often encouraged to “follow our passion.” This mantra gets a great deal of attention during commencement season… and when you are about to start a job search. As we’ve shared previously, your formal job search starts well before you read a job posting or submit your application. It starts with a critical assessment of your acquired knowledge, your skills, engagement with your network of colleagues and personal champions, and possibly and more importantly, a reflection on what really excites you. In other words, what is your passion, and what do you see yourself doing for the next phase of your career?

As suggested by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness in The Passion Paradox,

  • “A better approach to finding your passion is to lower the bar from perfect to interesting, then give yourself permission to pursue your interests with an open mind.”

Many of us are perfectionists. However, when exploring different jobs and career paths, it’s OK to focus on something that excites you, if only for the time-being. Your passion for the job, the specific activity, and ultimately, the company’s overall mission may develop over time. If you find that you can get 100% on-board with this vision, great. If not, do you see enough that excites you to fulfill your career goals? And if not, that’s OK too… as long as you’re growing your skill set and your network, and gaining something to apply to your next career move. We like to draw the comparison to a research experiment. The best experiments are those that, no matter the result, give you actionable information. Can you use the info you learn in one career step to make a more impactful decision next time? As we noted last month’s newsletter, you will likely change jobs a number of times (an average of 12 times). Those transitions allow you to have multiple opportunities to re-evaluate your decisions and to make different and better-informed choices.

Additional advice comes from Dr. Jon M Jachimowicz in 3 Reasons It’s So Hard to “Follow Your Passion”,

  • “Don’t wait to find your passion.”

You should focus on developing a passion in parts of your job, understanding your colleague’s passion, and working together to pursue your passions together. This can happen either as part of your daily work or outside the confines of your research group or the larger university. If you focus on the people, the mission and the values, your passion will follow.

  • “Focus on what you care about, not just what’s fun.”

Aligning your efforts around what you value and the impact you can make will be more fulfilling than simply focusing on what’s fun. Clearly, you shouldn’t dread what you’re doing on a daily basis. However, if you’re committed to the company’s mission and values, then your passion with shine through.

  • “Take time to reflect.”

Your passion and motivation will change over time (and definitely throughout your careers). You should be open to these changes. Be sure to take time to re-evaluate what drives you… and look for new opportunities to evolve. With this mindset, you’ll be able to weather challenging situations and adapt to hardships.

As we enter a slower time in academia around the holidays, it’s a good time to spend some time focusing on YOU! In January 2020, we’ll share some ideas on how you can start to explore your different ‘passion projects’ while being a postdoc. For now, make time to recharge and reflect upon your success of the previous months, big or small. In addition, dedicate some time to think about what you want to do next… what is your passion? And how will you find what drives you?

Is the job right for me?

Postdocs are often so busy trying to complete the next experiment or write the next draft of a manuscript (and hopefully get it published!), that we don’t have sufficient time to plan for the next stage of our careers. Usually, we start with reading job announcements, preparing our application materials, and then hoping to get invited for interviews. However, the preparation tends to stop there. What are the next steps after receiving an interview invitation or a job offer? How can you assess whether or not the job would be a good fit before making a final decision?

The easiest way to start learning about what a company or academic department really stands for is by performing an extensive on-line review of their website, specifically focusing on their mission and values statements. Do they match with your values? Importantly, you need to determine if these statements are simply the product of a leadership retreat or are engrained in the day-to-day operations of the company or department. To delve deeper, you can either reach out to people working at the company (e.g., connect via your LinkedIn network and ask for an informational interview) or ask specific questions during your interview to get an understanding of the real culture of the group you’ll be joining. As outlined by Robert Walters (How to tell if a company’s culture is right for you), consider asking the following questions during your interview:

  • How would you describe the company culture?
  • What would a typical day-to-day look like?
  • What’s your favorite part about your job? What is the least?
  • Do people engage in team activities together?
  • Who would I be working the closest with and would it be possible to meet them?
  • What key traits are essential for filling this role?

Finally, the average US worker changes jobs 12 times in their career (Doyle, 2019, How often do people change jobs). Therefore, when evaluating a particular job and setting up your pros vs. cons list, the expectation that this job will be “your forever” job is unrealistic. It is simply “your next” job – a place where you will continue to grow, learn, and prepare for future impact and opportunities. In fact, doctoral degree holders should think of their career as a book with multiple, yet to be determined chapters (Golde, 2019, Careers go in chapters). In the future, when we look back on the totality of our career, we will likely be able to tell a nice, linear story. However, as of now, the individual chapters of our career and life have not been predetermined … the best we can do at this point is to be prepared when the next new and exciting opportunity presents itself. Therefore, do your best to learn new skills, look for new directions, and be prepared for the future.

Staying Motivated

Graduate school can be one of the most challenging experiences of your life. Not only are you working on multiple projects, putting in lab hours, or completing research, you may also be juggling additional roles as parents or caregivers, employees, leaders, or community volunteers. With everything you have to do, it’s no wonder that it can be difficult at times to stay motivated and on track. Below are just a few strategies to help you cultivate—and recuperate—motivation while you are in grad school.

Focus on what you can change. Losing motivation in graduate school can be a result of feeling like you have no control over your life. While it’s true that you can’t change things like a professor’s feedback on your assignments or internship and funding application deadlines, you do have agency over how you spend your time during the week. 1) Prioritize only the most important tasks you need to do throughout the day. 2) Break down large projects into smaller, manageable tasks. 3) Block out times of the day (or night) that you are most alert; use these 15 or 30 min. to free write, in order to chip away at a final paper draft. 4) Finally, work where you work best. Is this at your desk at home, in the library, or at a café with a study peer or two?

Recognize that you are not a failure. You are in graduate school because you are brilliant, intelligent, and have much to offer to your discipline or profession. At the same time, one of the biggest hurdles you can face in graduate school is the fear of failure. For some folks, this can be emotionally and psychologically taxing and reduces motivation. But there’s hope. You can acknowledge that failure is a result, not who you are as a person. Practice reframing failures as learning moments. As our colleague Gino Aisenberg (Associate Dean of Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity in The Graduate School) asserts, “You wouldn’t yell at a toddler for stumbling as they learn how to walk. So be gentle with yourself, while you learn, make mistakes, and grow in graduate school.” Read this article for additional tips on learning from failure.

Make time for you. Other times, lack of motivation can result from not getting your needs met as a whole person—because believe it or not—you are not just a graduate student. Also, it’s neither realistic nor healthy to be “constantly productive.” It’s important to invest time for wellness, hobbies, and connection. These may include a weekly chat with a friend or loved one, watching your favorite movie, making a nice meal for yourself, seeing your therapist, or individual time for self-reflection (e.g. journaling or practicing self-kindness and compassion). We do our best work, when we dedicate time in our lives to relax, recharge, and participate in non-work activities that engage our interests and bring us enjoyment.

See the bigger picture. Part of the challenge of completing a graduate degree is that incentives and rewards are delayed. This is why it’s especially important to stay focused on all the reasons you entered graduate school in the first place. Maybe you’re wanting to land that dream job in industry, interested in providing more financial stability for your family after completing your degree, or passionate about influencing policy that promotes social equity. All of these are valid reasons to stay motivated while working towards your degree. If you need to, jot down all the positive reasons why you are in graduate school. Revisit this list as a reminder of your bigger purpose, whenever you’re lacking motivation. 

We hope these strategies resonate with you, and feel free to share with us your tips for staying motivated!

Best,

Core Programs—Office of Graduate Student Affairs

UW Graduate School