CTL Practicum

The Center for Technology Licensing at Cornell University (CTL) has historically benefited greatly from working with Cornell’s bright, passionate, and creative students whose many contributions have helped CTL translate Cornell’s innovations into products and services for the benefit of society. We are also proud to know those who have worked with us in the past have successfully leveraged their CTL experience into promising and successful careers in, among other areas, technology licensing, patent law, startups and business development.

To further enhance this mutually beneficial relationship, CTL is proud to introduce the CTL Practicum for Cornell graduate students.

The CTL Practicum is a paid program open to STEM and MBA graduate students (all campuses). We are seeking candidates who are available to work with us for at least 1 year, at a maximum of 10 hours per week. The practicants will be paid at an hourly rate.

The CTL Practicum includes:

  • A formalized application, screening and selection process
  • A robust training program about CTL and its scope of activities including evaluating innovations, assessing markets and potential licensees, creating effective marketing collateral, assessing patentability and patent landscapes, and learning about of the various types of contracts used by CTL to move innovations into the market place;
  • A clearly defined role on the CTL team with deliverables and the opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the success of the center’s mission and goals. Successful practicants will have the opportunity to explore and build experience with key aspects of innovation assessment and commercialization strategy, patenting and licensing agreements consistent with their career exploration interests.

CTL’s goal for the Practicum is to challenge Cornell’s graduate students while gaining valuable experience to help broaden their career options and gaining satisfaction in knowing that their contributions meaningfully helped Cornell fulfill its mission to commercialize its innovations and support new ventures.

Eligibility to the program

  • Open to Cornell STEM / MBA graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from Ithaca, Geneva, and Cornell Tech campuses.
  • Currently enrolled at Cornell University.

For Weill Cornell students in NYC and Qatar, apply to the newly created course “Fundamentals of Academic Business Development.” More information here.

Selection Criteria

  • Demonstrated interest in technology transfer, innovation, entrepreneurship
  • Commitment and availability up to 10 hours per week and ability to attend patent meetings and inventor meetings with Licensing Officers.
  • Approval of the research advisor.

Application Process

  • Complete the application form online.
  • Attach a resume and a cover letter.
  • Screened applicants will be invited for a virtual interview during the week of September 18, 2023.
  • Selected applicants are required to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
  • Read the materials provided before the training sessions in October.
  • Mandatory participation to the training sessions

Apply for CTL Practicum

Applications open in Fall 2024. Our new timeframe is mirroring the academic year to allow application from student in their final year of master.

Stay tuned

Information Sessions

Stay tuned for the upcoming information session!

Join us for the next in-person information session:

Date: September 8, 2023
Time: Noon – 1 p.m.
Location: 102 Mann Library

Lunch will be provided!

If you would like to learn more about for interns and Practicant experiences, you may view the recording of the panel titled “Innovation Beyond The Bench” held on August 11, 2021.

Practicum Contact Information

If you have any questions about the program or application process, please contact

Lynda Inseque
Director, Technology & Venture Initiatives and Engagement
lci2@cornell.edu

Kris Valentine Behnke
Manager, Innovation Outreach
kvb24@cornell.edu

Meet our practicants!

Academic Year 2024

Nicole Maurici

A Postdoctoral Research Associate in Dr. Brian Crane‘s group in the Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology.

Maggie Elpers

A Ph.D. student in Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, advised by Professor Jan Lammerding.

Abigail Nason

A Ph.D. student in Materials Science and Engineering, advised by Dr. Jin Suntivich.

Tian Tang

A Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Materials and Science Engineering advised by Prof. Lynden Archer.

Jeremiah James

Mark Yde

A Master’s student in Systems Engineering.

Eric Wang

Jiaqi Zou

A PhD student in Nutritional Sciences, advised by Dr. Aydemir.

Katerina Roth

A PhD Candidate in Professor Abby Snyder’s Lab in the Department of Food Science.

Academic Year 2023

Bailey Gong

Bailey Gong headshot

A Ph.D. student in the Department of Food Science under the mentorship of Professor Carmen Moraru.

Chase Webb

Chase Webb headshot

A Ph.D. student in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, advised by Professor Yadong Wang.

Lingwei Wan

Lingwei Wan headshot

A third-year Ph.D. student in the Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology section under the mentorship of Professor Melanie Filiatrault.

Jordan Johnson

Jordan Johnson headshot

A Master of Engineering Student in the Biomedical Engineering program.

Shalin Jayesh Dave

Shalin Dave headshot

A Master of Engineering Student in the Engineering Management program.

Eti Sinha

Eti Sinha headshot

A Ph.D. student in the Biomedical Engineering department working under the mentorship of Professor Olivier Elemento at Weill Cornell Medicine Department of Physiology and Biophysics.

Halle Redfearn

Halle Redfearn headshot

A Ph.D. candidate in Professor Julie Goddard’s research group in the Department of Food Science.

2022 cohort

Andrew Murtha

Andrew Murtha headshot

A Ph.D. student under the mentorship of Professor Tobias Dörr at Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology department.

Matthew Whitman

Matthew Whitman headshot

A Ph.D. student under the mentorship of Professor Claudia Fischbach-Teschl in the Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering.

Sagar Shah

Sagar Shah headshot

A joint postdoctoral fellow in the Molecular Biology Genetics / Computational Biology department under professors John T. Lis and Haiyuan Yu labs.

2021 cohort

Shiang-Wan Chin

Shiang-Wan Chin headshot

A Ph.D. student in the department of Systems Engineering.

2020 cohort

CTL Practicum Alumni

2023 cohort

2022 cohort

2021 cohort

  • Cybelle Tabilas, Ph.D. candidate, College of Veterinary Medicine
  • James Ryan, Ph.D. candidate, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences

2020 cohort

  • Martin Liu, Martin Liu, Ph.D. candidate, Food Sciences
  • Jin Liang, Research Associate, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology
  • Adam O’Neal, Doctoral candidate, Biochemistry, Molecular, and Cellular Biology
  • Julia Miller, PhD’20 Plant Biology Section of the School of Integrative Plant Sciences (SIPS)
  • Rachel Leicher, PhD’21 Chemical Biology (TPCB)
  • Shiang-Wan Chin, Ph.D. candidate, College of Engineering
  • Ruby Xu, M.S. Student, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
  • Olga Lyudovyk, A graduate student and Tri-I Computational Biology and Medicine candidate.

Pre-practicum Interns

  • Gunner Johnston, PhD’19 Immunology & Infectious Disease
  • Sabrina Solouki, PhD’19 Immunology & Infectious Disease