Researchers at the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research have developed an innovative approach to better understanding the complex signaling mechanisms underlying heart failure. A recent publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) offers...
ECHO Discovery Program
Interested in cardiovascular health ideation and research translation? Considering entrepreneurship, but aren’t sure how to get started?
Eligibility
ECHO Discovery is for fourth-year undergraduate students and graduate students enrolled in a Canadian university as well as post-doctoral and clinical fellows affiliated with the Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN). It is designed for those interested in exploring research translation and entrepreneurship within the cardiovascular health sector but who may be unsure how to proceed.
No ideas, start-ups, or previous experience necessary!
Participants must attend an orientation session (January 2023), engage in each program element for six months, and join at least 80% of associated workshops and fireside chats.
About ECHO Discovery
ECHO Discovery enables you to:
- Gain fundamental entrepreneurship skills and research translation expertise
- Learn from a diverse and multi-sector group of mentors and key opinion leaders
- Join an elite network of early-career entrepreneurs and researchers
- Explore opportunities to further your career within the cardiovascular space and beyond
Our entrepreneurship education program will:
- Provide students, trainees and investigators with an introduction to ideation, entrepreneurship and research translation through theoretical and experiential training
- Support a culture of research translation while igniting startup formation within the cardiovascular space
- Inspire and facilitate new cardiovascular ventures to enroll in our ECHO program, a specialized experiential training program providing entrepreneurship training, mentoring, networking, and funding opportunities to innovators within the cardiovascular space.
About
ECHO Discovery is funded and organized by the Translational Biology & Engineering Program and TRANSFORM HF, at the University of Toronto and the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research.
For more information on the ECHO Discovery program, please contact Noah Frank: admin.tbep@utoronto.ca
Program Overview
ECHO Discovery is comprised of three foundational elements to support your journey.
Element I: Ideate
Learn how to ground your ideas into innovation through an interactive ideation workshop series
In collaboration with the Ideation ClinicTM, ECHO Discovery will introduce participants to key aspects of the ideation process through a series of interactive, monthly 120-minute workshops.
Workshop topics include:
- Identifying People, Purpose and Places
- Exploring Unmet Needs
- Framing Contexts and Requirements
- Generating Testable Ideas
- Translating Prototypes: Iteration, Validation & Regulation
- Measuring Impact
Element 2: Inspire
Stoke the spark of inspiration through fireside chats with leaders in the field
Through a series of intimate fireside chats with successful entrepreneurs and business leaders, participants will:
- Hear firsthand accounts of becoming an entrepreneur in the cardiovascular health sector and beyond
- Learn about challenges and opportunities
- Pick up hard-won tips, key lessons and smart strategies in navigating the path to innovation and implementation
Each month we’ll have one hour-long Inspire session, planned for both virtual and in-person.
Element 3: Immerse
Soak up first-hand experience through shadowing opportunities
A select group of participants will have the opportunity to shadow a start-up/early commercial stage company for up to 10 hours, and gain valuable insight into launching and running a health/life sciences venture. More details will be shared with participants upon their acceptance into ECHO Discovery.
* For details on each element, please see the ECHO Discovery brochure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to participate in ECHO Discovery?
All fourth-year undergraduate students and graduate students enrolled in a Canadian university as well as post-doctoral and clinical fellows affiliated with the Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN) are eligible. Applicants must be interested in exploring research translation and entrepreneurship within the cardiovascular health sector but have limited understanding of how to proceed. No ideas, start-ups, or previous experience are required to participate.
What are the time commitments for being a participant in ECHO Discovery?
ECHO Discovery trainees are expected to participate in the following from January to June:
- Element-1: Ideate – six 120-minute Ideate virtual workshops occurring approximately once every three weeks
- Element-2: Inspire – six 60-minute Inspire fireside chat sessions occurring approximately once per month
- Element-3 – Immerse* – Up to 10 hours of shadowing experience with a relevant start-up/early commercial stage company (*only for select participants)
What are the key dates and deadlines for ECHO Discovery?
- Call for applications: October 18, 2022
- Applications deadline: November 18, 2022
- Notification of program acceptance: November 2022
- Program orientation: January 2023
- Program elements: January – June 2023
Do I need to have a startup company, an entrepreneurial idea, or product to enroll in ECHO Discovery?
No previous experience with startups or entrepreneurship is required.
What are the benefits of being in the ECHO Discovery program?
Benefits of being in the ECHO Discovery program include:
- Gain fundamental entrepreneurship skills and research translation expertise
- Learn from a diverse and multi-sector group of mentors and key opinion leaders
- Join an elite network of early-career entrepreneurs and researchers
- Explore opportunities to further your career within the cardiovascular space and beyond
What is the difference between ECHO Discovery and ECHO?
ECHO Discovery Program | ECHO Program | |
---|---|---|
Objective | Guides an introductory exploration of research translation and entrepreneurship within the cardiovascular health sector | Provide innovators of cardiovascular technologies with entrepreneurship training, mentorship, networking, and funding opportunities |
Target Audience | Those with minimal to no experience with ideation, research translation, entrepreneurship, and startup formation | Those who are developing a technology or innovation that they intend to commercialize and/or have a startup within the cardiovascular space |
Program Duration | 6 months | 12 months |
Do I need to complete ECHO Discovery before applying to ECHO?
No, it is not required to complete ECHO Discovery before applying to ECHO. However, it is our hope that some of the participants who complete ECHO Discovery will be able to successfully transition to the ECHO program in the future.
What are the next steps after the ECHO Discovery program?
While we hope that some participants of ECHO Discovery will continue on with the ECHO program in the future, we know that is not the only pathway! There are a number of other campus accelerators, incubators and think tanks related to entrepreneurship.
Will the program be delivered in-person or virtually?
The program will be held virtually with some in-person options:
- Program orientation: January 2023 (virtual and in-person options)
- Program elements: January – June 2023 (virtual with some in-person options, with the exception of optional shadowing opportunities requiring in-person participation)
What are the enrollment costs for ECHO Discovery?
There are no enrollment costs or fees associated with the ECHO Discovery program.
Is ECHO Discovery a certified program?
At this time there is no formal certification with ECHO Discovery.
Is ECHO Discovery affiliated with the University of Toronto?
ECHO Discovery is funded and organized by the Translational Biology & Engineering Program and TRANSFORM HF, at the University of Toronto and the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research.