An innovator implements and fosters a social, cultural, and commercial mindset across a wide range of research and innovation contexts.
As a graduate student, you will discover new and creative ways of approaching research and making an impact in your field. Innovators implement and foster a social, cultural, and commercial mindset and are driven to make a positive difference in the world through their work.
An innovator will:
Impact
Make an impact towards others, your community and/or globally
Link
Bridge academia and industry through entrepreneurial thinking
Solve
Solve problems through creativity, ideation, and innovation
Create change
Become a change maker – towards social, and/ or commercial innovation
Innovator Development Areas
Innovation
Through innovation graduate students can bridge the gap between academia and industry by creating collaborative research opportunities that facilitate the translation of academic research into practical applications.
- Focus on developing new ways to approach challenges and find creative ways to problem-solve
- Emphasize the importance of understanding the impact of your work, both social and commercial
- Leverage the strengths of academia and industry to create solutions that are technically sound and commercially viable
- Focus on the processes as well as the product
- Drop-in to the Makerspace or sign up for a workshop
- Participate in Idea to Impact – Skills for Research Commercialization
- Learn more about commercialization through ORS and Brock LINC
- Take a Universal design course through CPI
- Explore careers in innovation through Career Education and CareerZone
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship encourages graduate students to combine creativity, strategic thinking, leadership, and business acumen. Entrepreneurs are typically driven by a passion and desire to impact their community and/or globally positively. They are willing to persevere through challenges and uncertainty and can adapt quickly to change.
- Communicate the importance and relevance of your research to others
- Visualize connections between ideas to create a narrative that engages and resonates with your audience.
- Engage and build relationships to establish yourself as a thought leader or expert in your field
- Build a strong personal or professional brand, communicate effectively, and make a positive impact on the world
- Explore the Brock LINC Kick-Starting Entrepreneurship program
- Participate in Idea to Impact – Skills for Research Commercialization
- Visit Career Education to see what opportunities are available
- Inquire about Lab2Market opportunities
- Participate in the LINC Navigate program
Creativity and Design
Creativity and design involve generating original and innovative ideas, and then taking those ideas and turning them into something tangible and functional. By fostering creativity and design skills, you can unlock new opportunities and unleash your full potential.
- Generate new and innovative ideas, concepts, and solutions to problems.
- Adapt and pivot in response to changing circumstances or unexpected challenges
- Be open to new perspectives, experiment with different approaches, and take calculated risks to achieve desired outcomes
- Enhance the learning process by thinking critically, making connections, and applying knowledge in practical ways.
- Connect with Brock LINC
- Participate in a design thinking workshop
- Engage in a mind-mapping workshop
- Sign up for an ISW through CPI
- Visit the Makerspace
- Compete in a Research Competition (GRADflix/3MT)