Office of Innovation and Commercialization at West Virginia University

08/26/2026

🌲 Excited to share an opportunity for innovators working at the intersection of forestry, manufacturing, and technology.

The NSF I-Corps Hub Spark Online Cohort for Forest-Related Technologies is designed to help researchers, entrepreneurs, innovators, and community teams validate market opportunities and accelerate commercialization.

Forest-related technologies are transforming how we grow, manage, use, and value forest resources. Whether you're working on advanced wood products, bioplastics, biofuels, waste upcycling, digital forestry, AI, data analytics, or next-generation manufacturing, this cohort can help you explore your innovation's real-world potential.

If you're developing a forestry-related technology and wondering how it fits in the market, this is a great place to start! Apply today!

📅 October 1 - October 29 (Virtual)
📌 Application deadline: September 23
https://neicorps.org/apply-now/

08/24/2026

🚨 LAST CHANCE TO APPLY!

Today is the final day to apply for the September NSF I-Corps regional course, hosted by West Virginia University!

NSF I-Corps helps researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators explore whether their ideas have real-world potential. Through customer discovery, participants connect with potential customers and stakeholders, test their assumptions, and gain valuable insights that can help move research and innovation toward real-world impact and commercialization.

💡 Have an innovation or research-based technology with potential? I-Corps can help you take the next step by learning more about the people and problems your innovation could serve.

⏰ Don't wait - applications are due today!
👉 Apply now! https://www.tfaforms.com/5219067

08/21/2026

🚨 DEADLINE EXTENDED!

There’s still time to apply for the regional NSF I-Corps course, hosted by West Virginia University. The new application deadline is August 24!

NSF I-Corps helps researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators explore whether their ideas have real-world potential. Through customer discovery, participants gain firsthand insights from potential customers and stakeholders, test their assumptions, and learn how to translate research and innovation into solutions that address real needs.

💡 Whether you’re developing a new technology, product, or research-based innovation, I-Corps can help you take the next step toward commercialization and impact.

If you’ve been considering applying, now is the time!

👉 Apply by August 24 and take your innovation to the next level

08/20/2026

Join us for our Entrepreneurial Startup Support Sessions at the LaunchLab! These weekly sessions are open to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the greater Morgantown community and are designed to help entrepreneurs learn, connect, and grow.

📅 Wednesdays | 4–5 p.m.
📍 Evansdale Crossing, Room 413

08/20/2026

The WVU Office of Innovation and Commercialization invites faculty, staff, and students to join us for Faculty Fusion, an evening of casual conversation, cross-campus connections, and ideas that fuel innovation, research, and commercialization.

Whether you're looking to expand your network, explore interdisciplinary collaborations, learn about commercialization opportunities, or simply connect with members of the WVU community, Faculty Fusion is an opportunity to engage with innovators from across campus in a relaxed setting.

📍 Stone Tower Brews
📅 September 15, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
📍 3345 University Avenue, Morgantown, WV

Please RSVP by Friday, September 11 at [email protected].

We look forward to bringing together the WVU community to spark new ideas, build meaningful connections, and strengthen our culture of innovation.

08/13/2026

WVU students, LaunchLab is kicking off the semester with a Welcome Back Bash! Come hang out, enjoy some food, and connect with fellow students at the LaunchLab.

August 27, 2026
4–4:30 PM: Arrive & learn about the LaunchLab
4:30–6 PM: Food & Networking
Suite 413 | Evansdale Crossings
Bring a friend, and let’s kick off the semester together!

08/13/2026

WVU's excusive licensing partnership with Mission Critical Materials advances groundbreaking WVU technology that transforms polluted acid mine drainage into a domestic source of critical rare earth minerals, materials essential for everything from smartphones and electric vehicles to advanced defense systems.

By turning an environmental challenge into a strategic resource, this innovation helps strengthen America's supply chain resilience while cleaning up legacy mine water across Appalachia and beyond.

The Office of Innovation and Commercialization is thrilled to see the national spotlight on this work in a recent Fox News feature:

https://www.foxnews.com/science/west-virginia-university-researchers-turn-polluted-mine-water-critical-rare-earth-minerals

A huge thank you to our researchers, partners at Mission Critical Materials, and everyone who helped move this technology from lab to market. This is what university innovation looks like when it delivers real-world impact.

West Virginia University researchers are extracting critical rare earth minerals from polluted mine water, creating a potential U.S. supply chain solution.

07/30/2026

Congratulations to Neurowired, LLC, a West Virginia University spinout, on being named a recipient of an inaugural Focus Forward: Minds and Machines grant from the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

This recognition highlights the impact of WVU innovation and commercialization in advancing technologies that improve lives and strengthen communities. We’re proud to see Neurowired continue turning research into real-world solutions.

Congratulations to the entire Neurowired team!

With a focus on preparing today for the West Virginia of tomorrow, the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative at WVU, the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, and Amazon Web Services have awarded $45,000 in grant funding and promotional credits to aid initiatives focused on leveraging artifi...

07/15/2026

WVU’s Office of Innovation and Commercialization is excited to introduce the inaugural cohort of Innovation and Commercialization Scholars! Over the next eight weeks, nine students will take part in a hands-on, experiential learning program focused on the technology transfer process, gaining insight into how research becomes real-world impact.

We are excited to introduce Paulo Galvao Simplicio in our next scholar spotlight. As a 4th-year PhD candidate in Robotics within Mechanical Engineering, Paulo develops perception and motion planning methods that enable safe robot navigation in hazardous environments. Passionate about turning advanced robotics research into practical solutions, he is eager to better understand how technologies are evaluated and positioned for early-stage commercialization. Looking ahead to a career in robotics and autonomy, Paulo is using this experience to build the skills needed to bridge the gap between scientific innovation and real-world application.

Join us in celebrating Paulo, and stay tuned for more spotlights on our incredible I&C Scholars! 🚀

07/15/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us at WVU Morris L. Hayhurst LaunchLab for the OIC Commercialization Scholars Idea to Impact Exchange!

Students and faculty had the opportunity to connect with WVU entrepreneurship resource providers and learn how our campus ecosystem supports the journey from innovative ideas to real-world impact. We were also privileged to hear from four entrepreneurs who shared their firsthand experiences translating university technologies into successful commercialization ventures.

A sincere thank you to all of our presenters for sharing your time, expertise, and insights. Your perspectives are helping inspire the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs at WVU.

If you have an idea you'd like to explore, or you're simply curious about how to get involved with innovation and commercialization at WVU, we'd love to connect. Reach out to the Office of Innovation & Commercialization to learn more about the resources and opportunities available to you.