How do you find out about the Collider Program opportunities?

Collider projects will be advertised on our web site, social networks, email lists, and events such as the A. Richard Newton Lecture Series and BMoE Bootcamps. Stay connected to find out more.

How and why do innovative firms offer Collider projects?

Experts from innovative firms are often invited to offer a Collider project so they can reach the students, researchers, and faculty most interested in the opportunity areas developed by the firm.

How and why do successful serial entrepreneurs offer Collider projects?

For EIRs and venture firms with a particular investment thesis or venture concept in formation, a Collider project may be the best way to work with creative students and researchers with matching expertise as they build their teams and develop the prototypes, venture concepts, and organizations.

How is intellectual property handled in Collider projects?

Collider projects do not change the ownership of IP.
1) If the problem and resources to work on the problem are provided by a sponsoring firm and no substantial use of facilities and equipment are provided by the university, then the firm may own the resulting IP, similar to an internship.

2) If the  resources to work on the problem, including substantial use of facilities and equipment, are provided by the university, then the IP may be open or protected by the university at the discretion of the faculty and researchers.

3) For projects proposed and conducted entirely by students who are not paid employees of the university, such as undergraduates students, then students will continue to own the work of their project as well as have the ability to make their results open.

Who can propose a Collider project?

While they are more commonly proposed by the Center’s Technical Advisory Board, any industry expert, investor, entrepreneur, or student can propose a collider project. Learn more on about our views on what’s next for entrepreneurship here.

Propose a Collider Project

Collider project proposals should be send to the Sutardja Center Chief Scientist, Ikhlaq Sidhu, by email at sidhu at berkeley dot edu. Submit approximately 1 page to include:

1. The objective of the project
2. What insight would be gained from the project
3. Who is the project for? Include how many, what level of students and who will be the off-campus contact person or participants
4. The methods and data:  include steps to completion and timeframe (1 month, 3 month, 6 month, 1 year)
5. The project outcome: include what is the final deliverable (i.e., prototype, business model, plan of action, academic study, funding proposal, or other outcomes)
6. Please also indicate whether there will be a prize or some form of award to particpanting teams with the best project outcome