IIIT-H launches Ojas post-doctoral entrepreneurship programme

Hyderabad: CIE@IIITH's Ojas medtech incubator has launched a programmeme for scientists who are completing their PhDs and are keen on pursuing an entrepreneurial career. The programme offers post-doctoral training focused on building a technology enabled solution (device, app, digital tool) to address problems in the healthcare arena. This includes disease detection, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, monitoring or wellness. The scientist will need to select a professor from IIITH, who will guide the work. The PhD supervisor of the candidate can also be a collaborator for the project, if the product idea is based on the candidate's thesis work.

A 12-month stipend will be provided, with the option of extending by 12 more months. At the end of this period, the scientist is expected to incorporate a company and take the product forward. Seed funding of up to Rs 25 lakhs will be available to the company upon incorporation. In parallel, the entrepreneur will have access to a network of investors through Ojas, to raise equity capital.

Commenting on this novel programme, Dr Radha Rangarajan, Head of Innovation and Strategy at Ojas said, "The Post-doctoral Entrepreneurship Programme is designed for those who want to leverage their skills in research to build products for healthcare. The programme is highly structured and will allow a gradual transition from academia to entrepreneurship." The programme is open to candidates who are likely to submit their PhD thesis in 2019 and can start by October 1, 2019 at the latest. Application deadline is April 25, 2019.

The International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H) is an autonomous research university founded in 1998 that focuses on the core areas of Information Technology, such as Computer Science, Electronics and Communications, and their applications in other domains through inter-disciplinary research with great social impact.

Ojas is a Medtech incubator within CIE, for companies building technology enabled solutions in the healthcare arena. Ojas is partly funded by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and is headed by Dr. Radha Rangarajan, a biotech entrepreneur with rich experience in drug discovery and diagnostics. Prof Ramesh Loganathan, who heads CIE, is on the Steering committee.