Pathways to Impact

Sep 30 – Dec 9, 2026

Research commercialization is not a departure from science and engineering – it is a path to create impact. Pathways to Impact (P2I) is an 11 week non-credit, co-curricular pilot program for NYU PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in STEM who want to understand how discoveries move from lab to the public. Participants will:

  • Explore: Enter with a research question, curiosity, or interest in non-academic impact.
  • Build evidence: Map stakeholders, test assumptions, and refine the research’s value proposition.
  • Showcase: Communicate a credible translation pathway and receive constructive feedback.
  • Discover next steps: Learn about the Leslie Institute’s venture coaching team, Technology Opportunities & Ventures office (TOV), the Tech Venture Program, or other relevant resources.

Overall P2I helps PhD students and postdocs build practical skills, confidence, and a network for translating discovery into meaningful impact.

Apply Here
Pathways to Impact

Dates & Application Deadline

  • Learn More: Attend the info session on Sep 8 from 4-5pm (via Zoom)
  • Application Deadline: Sep 16, 2026 at 6pm
  • Dates/Times: From Sep 30–Dec 9 2026, weekly on Wednesdays from 5:00–7:00 PM (final session is 5-8pm)
  • Location: In person – at the Leslie eLab

Who Can Apply?

  • STEM PhD students, especially in years 3–6, from any NYU school
  • Postdoctoral researchers across NYU
  • Interested in learning how to commercialize your research (though not committed to doing so)

Benefits

  • Learn how research becomes real-world impact
  • Build skills: customer discovery, IP, legal, funding
  • Explore non-academic career paths
  • Earn a credential + priority access to support

Tell Me More

What You Can Expect

Learn by doing—without business-school pressure. Each session blends practical instruction, expert perspectives, hands-on application, and community-building. Throughout the 11 weeks, you can expect:

  • 01 Weekly Interactive learning: Sixty to seventy-five minutes of practical content, demonstrations, panels, and guided exercises.
  • 02 Translation Lab: Apply each week’s concepts directly to your research and build a recommended translation pathway.
  • 03 Community & networking: Each week you’ll spend 45 minutes networking with peers and alumni across campus, over food and refreshments.
  • 04 Minimal “homework”: Short readings or videos, plus focused customer-discovery interviews during the challenge phase.
  • 05 No idea required: Enter with curiosity. Research pathways and interdisciplinary project teams can form during the program.
  • 06 Impact Showcase: Conclude with a friendly presentation to mentors and PIs, followed by feedback and next-step referrals.

This is a non-curricular program (no academic credit will be awarded) but each participant who completes the 11 week program will receive an official certificate of completion

Curriculum

Explore the P2I (tentative) curriculum to learn more about how you’ll spend your time in the program. Each session will encompass a ~75min workshop/panel + ~45min of socializing over food and drinks. 

  • Week 1: Sep. 30 Orientation & Mixer: Program roadmap, “Plan A” expectations, cohort connection, and the research-to-impact framing
  • Week 2: Oct. 7 The Impact Mindset: Shift from “basic scientist” to impact-driven researcher and explore commercialization pathways and timelines.
  • Week 3: Oct. 14 Business Models for Research Translation & Sustainability: Connect discovery data to a value proposition and understand how a research insight can become a sustainable solution.
  • Week 4: Oct. 21 Customer Discovery 101 & Challenge Launch: Apply the scientific method to market needs through stakeholder interviews, market dynamics, and competitive context.
  • Week 5: Oct. 28 NYU Success Panel: Hear real-world case studies from NYU PhDs and postdocs who translated their research.
  • Week 6: Nov. 4 Intellectual Property (IP): Understand patents, invention disclosure, ownership, NYU’s Technology Opportunities & Ventures office, and how IP can create value.
  • Week 7: Nov. 11 Legal 101: Demystify entity formation, contracts, conflicts of interest, and foundational regulatory considerations.
  • Week 8: Nov. 18 Project Workshop & Review: Use discovery evidence to refine the problem statement, solution, and value proposition.
  • Week 9: Nov. 25 Funding Landscape [Either via Zoom or May be rescheduled due to Thanksgiving]: Understand SBIR/STTR, venture capital, angel investment, and how funding choices align with a translation pathway.
  • Week 10: Dec. 2 The Narrative: Pitching Impact: Translate technical complexity into a compelling, accessible story and prepare the final pitch.
  • Week 11: Dec. 9 Impact Showcase, Finale & Next Steps: Present a final poster and presentation to a friendly panel of mentors and your PIs, and learn about next steps after P2I.
Who is P2I For?

NYU researchers who are curious about impact beyond publications. This includes those based in NYC including:

  • STEM PhD students, especially in years 3–6, from any NYU school
  • Postdoctoral researchers across NYU
  • PhD students in quantitative social sciences or digital humanities
Selection Criteria
  • Must be interested in learning how to commercialize your research (though not committed to doing so)
  • Must be willing to commit the time to attend all weekly sessions on Wednesdays from 5-7pm between Sep 30–Dec 9 2026; Must have your PI’s approval to participate if this conflicts with research activities
  • No business or commercialization experience required
  • No specific invention you’re seeking to commercialize required
  • Space for this pilot program is limited; In the event this program is oversubscribed, applicants meeting the criteria will be selected on a first come, first served basis
Benefits

Build practical skills, confidence, and connections.

  • Understand how discoveries move from research to real-world use
  • Identify and articulate a value proposition and stakeholder need for a new technology/innovation
  • Learn key translational skills including customer discovery, IP management, legal and regulatory rules, business model and funding fundamentals
  • Connect with NYU alumni, founders, commercialization experts, and peers
  • Create a Translation Pathway presentation for an innovation you’re working on in the lab
  • Explore non-academic career pathways, especially those surrounding research commercialization
  • Receive a completion credential and a priority pathway to further NYU commercialization support
How to Apply

FAQs

Is P2I right for me?

The program is built to make research translation approachable, practical, and relevant to an academic researcher’s work. Register for the Info Session

Do I need a startup idea or an invention disclosure?

No. P2I welcomes participants who are simply exploring research translation, without a specific project in mind. Project teams may form during the early sessions or in your own time. 

Do I need prior business or entrepreneurship experience?

No. The program intentionally uses research-centered language and teaches foundational commercialization concepts in a supportive environment.

How much time should I expect outside of the weekly sessions?

Homework is intentionally limited to short readings or videos, except during the customer-discovery phase, when participants will conduct focused stakeholder interviews.

Can I participate individually?

Yes. Participants may apply individually, though members of the same team may also apply (from the same research lab or labs collaborating on cross-disciplinary research).

Can I participate virtually?

No. P2I is an in person program, though we may be able to make accommodations for virtual participation in the case of emergency or illness for a limited period of time.

What is required to complete the program and receive the certificate of completion?

Attendance at at least 9 of 11 sessions, completion of the final presentation, and participation in program surveys. Final requirements will be confirmed before launch.

Is P2I right for me?

Participants receive a certificate of completion, next-step recommendations and may be referred to Leslie Institute venture coaching, the Tech Venture Program, or other resources depending on readiness and goals.

Is the November 25 session confirmed?

The Thanksgiving-week date remains provisional. Any schedule adjustment or alternative format will be communicated during the info session.