University of Minnesota
Entrepreneurial Leave Program
March 2012
Entrepreneurial Leave Program
Facilitate temporarily leave for faculty inventors who want to
help an external organization commercialize a UMN IP-based
product or service.
UMN Benefit:
Create institutional value by …….
• increasing potential for successful translation and
commercialization of research
• increased faculty knowledge and experience for teaching
• improved commercial research focus
• increased UMN public engagement
Office for Technology Commercialization
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Entrepreneurial Leave Program
Why is this important?
• President Kaler is committed to a culture of
entrepreneurialism and innovation
• Faculty inventors are a key ingredient in successful
commercialization of UMN research
• Increasing pressure to demonstration ROI and drive economic
development from research
• There is a need to increase public engagement and industry
relationships
Office for Technology Commercialization
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Benchmarks
External
University of Louisville
Ohio State University
National Cancer Institute-Frederick
Northwestern University-McCormick
Michigan Tech
Stanford University
University of Utah
Columbia University
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Active program
Active program
Active program
Active program
Active program
No program
No program
No program
No program
Internal
Chuck Muscoplat, Senior VP; System Academic Admin
Mos Kaveh, Associate Dean; College of Science and Engineering
Abel Ponce de Leon, Associate Dean; Food, Agr, Nat Rsrc Sci Admin
Tucker LeBien, Associate VP for Research; AHC
Completed
Completed
Completed
Completed
Office for Technology Commercialization
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Proposal
• Work within the same structure as we have today by keeping the program rules
mostly the same
• Sabbatical Leave, Single Semester Leave and Entrepreneurial Leave
• Available when working with UMN licensed IP or when substantially
demonstrating institutional benefit (business faculty)
• No salary support but no limit the amount of outside compensation available to
the faulty
• Operation details are TBD; coverage to offset healthcare benefits costs
• Limited to one year, requires 100% leave
• Eligibility every four years
• Requires monthly “check-ins” with supervisor and OTC representative
Keep it simple, work within the current framework
Take a first step and get it out quickly
Office for Technology Commercialization
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