# Translating Medical Device Discoveries to the Bedside: The Academic Entrepreneurship Awareness to Action (AE2A) Curriculum to Promote Training of a Diverse Workforce

> **NIH NIH R25** · CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA · 2024 · $431,714

## Abstract

Project Summary: This new 2-year educational program aims to grow a diverse, national biomedical research
workforce adept in medical device innovation and entrepreneurship. Through skill-building, mentorship, and
networking, participants will be empowered to embark on careers translating new research findings and
technologies, including artificial intelligence, into market-ready medical devices for children and adults. Eligible
candidates will include graduate students in clinical, translational, or basic sciences and engineering (e.g.,
Masters, PhD, MD/DMD/Nursing), postdoctoral fellows, research-oriented residents and clinical fellows, and
junior research faculty at academic institutions across the nation. Participants will learn a core curriculum
supplemented with a mentored individual development plan to prepare for careers in medical device innovation
(e.g., translational researcher, developer, co-founder, regulatory/safety/clinical evaluator) and a Capstone
Project. Our program will be built on our free, open-source, interactive e-book, Academic Entrepreneurship for
Medical and Health Scientists. Mentors and faculty will include e-book authors and other nationally recognized
experts in device development and entrepreneurship. Participants will benefit from support personnel and
resources at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and our
nationwide research and entrepreneurship network. Four aims are proposed: (1) Aim 1 Awareness: Increase
awareness of Academic Entrepreneurship (AE) as a career path and build foundational AE skills for medical
device development. Multimodal sessions with storytelling and interactive cases will introduce AE career
paths and associated core concepts to a wide audience. One-day sessions will be held in hybrid format (in-
person and virtual) four times per year. Session recordings will be shared online for asynchronous viewing to
increase accessibility. Our outreach partners have successful national networks aimed at increasing
participation of underrepresented groups in research and will enhance our recruitment and dissemination
efforts. (2) Aim 2 Action: Provide further personalized training to those wishing to pursue AE focused on
medical device development. Aim 1 Awareness participants can apply to AE Aim 2 Action programming, which
includes a 5-day bootcamp, where they will engage in established and innovative adult learning formats like
case-based activities, team-based project work on real-life devices, and modified Fishbowl discussions. (3)
Aim 3 Mentor: Co-create Individual Development Plans (IDPs) and two-year longitudinal mentoring built on
evidence-based methods, with mentoring teams that include a clinical mentor. (4) Aim 4 Network/Sustain:
Provide mechanisms, including the novel Expertise Knowledge Platform developed at CHOP, for all
participants and program affiliates to stay connected and create a robust, sustainable AE ecosystem that will
continue after...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10950697
- **Project number:** 1R25GM155479-01
- **Recipient organization:** CHILDREN'S HOSP OF PHILADELPHIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Daria Ferro
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $431,714
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2029-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10950697

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10950697, Translating Medical Device Discoveries to the Bedside: The Academic Entrepreneurship Awareness to Action (AE2A) Curriculum to Promote Training of a Diverse Workforce (1R25GM155479-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10950697. Licensed CC0.

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