@RCSI_irlInnovative translational health research can provide better patient outcomes and ultimately improve human health. Healthcare students are increasingly eager to apply their learning to address real-life challenges that impact the lives of patients. Keen to foster this entrepreneurial spirit and to ensure that we translate our research to provide better patient outcomes, RCSI launched the annual Student Innovation Challenge in 2017. The Student Innovation Challenge gives students the opportunity to develop their innovation and ideation skills, team work and pitching skills, and encourages them to have some fun along the way. It is a great opportunity for students to equip themselves with the skills needed to better understand the importance of innovation in addressing health and research problems as well as understanding the process of research commercialisation and knowledge transfer. Our graduates are employed worldwide across many different healthcare environments and this experience gives them a legacy of entrepreneurial knowledge and skillsets, and the confidence to continue innovating in their future careers.
The RCSI Student Innovation Challenge is unique in that the healthcare challenges presented to the students are devised by research active clinicians from our partner hospitals, who have an in-depth insight into the needs of patients and the healthcare system. Working in teams, the students are provided with mentorship from the challenge leaders and supported by training in key aspects of needs led innovation including market research, intellectual property and research commercialisation, to develop innovations that have the potential solve challenges in healthcare.
