A group of academic and industry leaders, including Ken Harrington of the Skandalaris Center, has received a $600,000 Innovation Acceleration Partnership (IAP) grant from the National Science Foundation. The project will partner scientific researchers with postdoctoral fellows trained in commercialization, with the goal of translating ideas into companies and products more quickly and effectively. Download additional information for fellowship applicants, read more about the grant, or contact IAP@wustl.edu for more information.

The judges have selected the 2008 Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition (SEIC) winners. The $35,000 YouthBridge Award went to StudioSTL, which empowers youth by helping them discover, develop, and celebrate their individual voices through writing; the $30,000 Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis Award went to LiveFeed, providing a solution for collecting and donating food by working with the live music and entertainment scene; the Skandalaris Award was split between 2 teams, and supplemented this year by additional funds from the YouthBridge Community Foundation. The 2 winners of that award are BEGIN New Venture Center at St. Patrick Center and Indego Africa. Read more about the winners.

The judges have selected the 2007 Olin Cup Competition winners. The $50,000 prize was awarded to IsThatOneGood, a website that uses users' opinions to generate relevant, accurate product recommendations and meaningful discussion. The $20,000 prize was awarded to MedExceed, a new company which has developed Medi-bite, a disposable physical therapy device aimed at restoring jaw function to people afflicted with jaw joint injury. Read more about the winners.