Partner with SURGE
SURGE is a collection of programs aimed at delivering innovation and entrepreneurship training to science trainees across all levels. In addition, SURGE specifically strives to facilitate meaningful networks between students, academia, and the industry.
Participate in SURGE Events
Faculty and entrepreneurs from industry are welcome to participate in SURGE programming, including SURGE Discover and Deep Dive events. We also like to engage partners from academia and industry as mentors and judges for our Deep Dive events. This can be a great way to participate without a full weekend commitment but still tap into the energy and excitement of these events.
Run an Event
Do you have an idea for a Deep Dive event, like a hackathon, makeathon, or startup weekend? If so, please contact us to discuss.
Keep in mind that even though the term ‘hackathon’ could mean working with code, we define it much more broadly. For instance, hacking also means breaking things apart, playing with them, and creating something new. This approach can be applied to an existing technique, instrument, or scientific problem that can be disrupted innovatively by unleashing creativity.
Bring Us Problems
Even if you aren’t interested in running an event, we are always looking for interesting problems for students to tackle. Please keep in mind that SURGE focuses on trainee-driven, commercialization-oriented problem-solving. This means that we are looking for big problems and needs in the world. We aim to solve such problems through viable business models with high growth potential and where the research and development costs can be recovered through revenue streams. So, if you are looking for students to solve specific problems in your lab or have them work on basic research, there are better options, such as lab volunteers, independent research projects, and co-op students.
Intellectual Property
SURGE strongly prefers that student teams develop independent leadership skills and hold their own IP. If you have ideas that you would like to hold Intellectual Property for and/or be directly involved in commercializing, you are welcome to pitch them to SURGE with the expectation that you would be an active team member as well. We are more than happy to discuss these issues with you. If you are interested in commercialization as a faculty member, we suggest contacting Dalhousie’s Industry Liaison and Innovation office.
Our Current Sandbox Partners
Host an Outreach Session
We invite organizations that are passionate about STEM to partner with us in inspiring young minds. Together, we can create impactful outreach events, including workshops and demonstrations designed to ignite curiosity and foster STEM literacy. Whether you're a corporation, nonprofit, or educational institution, join us in empowering the next generation of innovators. Let's make a difference together!
