NUvention is a visionary academic partnership created by the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation that attempts to expand upon Northwestern University's excellence in interdisciplinary study. The Highest Order of Excellence, Northwestern's overall strategy framework, challenges Northwestern faculty and administration to work across departments and schools in unique ways. While many interdisciplinary programs of study exist, very few specific classes attempt to join faculty and students from more than a couple of schools.

In 2006, Dean Julio Ottino of McCormick met with a 3rd year medical student, Swami Gnanashanmugam, and the student leaders of InNUvention. They presented him an idea for an interdisciplinary course in the life sciences area. He embraced the idea, and championed it internally with his peers at other schools and even presented the concept to the McCormick Advisory Council. Dean Ottino asked CEI to bring this course idea to life. NUvention was created to develop this course and to pursue the same interdisciplinary approach in other disciplines besides life sciences.

NUvention's first class offering is titled Medical Innovation — a two-quarter class that started in the fall of 2007 involving students and faculty from four Northwestern schools: law, medicine, engineering, and business. The course focuses on identifying unmet clinical needs, innovating novel medical technology, and delivering this innovation to the bedside. Students experience the entire innovation/business life cycle from ideation to prototyping and business plan development.

Through this program, Northwestern University and the greater community gains a unique interdisciplinary program that translates academic pursuits into tangible medical innovations that will impact patient care. Of the eleven 2007 teams, over half are moving forward with their innovations and forming start up companies.

If you are interested in applying for the 2009 NUvention Medical Innovation course, please click here.

For more information on the faculty team, please click here.