Apply Now for TSEP – The Entrepreneurship Program for Researchers!

Applications are now open for the Translational Science Entrepreneurship Program (TSEP), which helps researchers make the leap from science into startups. Now in its third year, the free, year-long, hybrid program can help you make the next move into the startup world—getting your scientific or technological innovation into clinical use.

“The ideal TSEP participant is someone who is entrepreneurially minded and has developed a scientific innovation to the point where they are convinced that it can work, but they just don’t know how to get it funded, FDA cleared, and onto the market for clinical use,” says Teddy Johnson, program developer and Director of the Technology Development Center (TDC).

The TSEP curriculum is curated to cover a wide range of topics essential for entrepreneurial success, including:

• Business strategy
• Market analysis
• Commercialization strategies
• Emphasis on practical application

The TSEP is open to all post-doctoral scientists, PhD graduate students, and inspired faculty members in health-related fields from Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho, and Oregon academic and clinical entities, as well as CTSAs across the nation. If you have a project you’re ready to translate into a product and company, the TSEP may be right for you!

Built on the foundation of prior entrepreneurship workshops and business courses led by the TDC, this specialized program is designed to prepare individuals for a seamless transition from academic research to entrepreneurial leadership. The program welcomes people developing therapeutics, devices, and diagnostics as well as digital health, mental health, public health, and agriculture innovation applications and tools.

“TSEP participants are the people who can’t stop thinking about their idea, regardless of how busy they are with their other responsibilities,” Johnson told us. “What makes TSEP special is that it gives all comers an opportunity to explore and gradually develop the mindset and know-how to launch a company, along with a cohort of peers who share the bond of feeling woefully unprepared.”

We all start from somewhere. “Imposters” are wholeheartedly welcome!

Applications are due by April 4, 2026. To learn more about the TSEP application, pre-requisites, format and more, visit the program page. You can also join Teddy Johnson for an online information session on March 20 to get all your questions answered.

This opportunity is open to all eligible persons regardless of race, sex or other identity.