Vanderbilt’s Innovation Ambassadors Program, launched by the Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization (CTTC), is transforming how academic discoveries translate into societal impact through a peer-to-peer approach that has become a model for universities nationwide. Through the program, select faculty Ambassadors from different departments at VU and VUMC act as liaisons between researchers and innovation resources.
The Innovation Ambassadors program, led by CTTC team members Phil Swaney and Carlos Detrés-Román, equips Ambassadors to be a resource to their colleagues and provides guidance in patenting their discoveries, seeking industry funding for research, or exploring startup possibilities. Ambassadors receive specialized training on intellectual property protection, commercialization, entrepreneurship, and university policies, and gain early access to developments in the local innovation ecosystem.
Phil Swaneey, Licensing and Strategic Initiatives Manager, states, “The Innovation Ambassadors program acts as an important bridge between the innovation resources across campus and our faculty, helping them get faster access to the people and things they need in their own innovative pursuits.” He continues, “The work of our Ambassadors has led to the formation of new startups, increased the number of invention disclosures submitted to CTTC, and helped foster a culture of innovation amongst faculty. We’re excited to see where this program goes in the years to come.”
An Innovative Program Leading the Way
Since the launch of Vanderbilt’s Innovation Ambassadors program in 2022, ten other academic institutions, including Columbia University, the University of Arizona, the University of Michigan, Baylor College of Medicine, and the University of Utah have established their own faculty Ambassador initiatives or are planning to do so this year, adopting variations of Vanderbilt's peer-led model. Vanderbilt also leads a quarterly working group with these schools and any others interested in implementing an Ambassador-style program.
For the past two years, Vanderbilt's Ambassador program has been a featured topic at AUTM, the international professional society for academic technology transfer, with the Vanderbilt team sharing successes and tips with peers across the globe. Through these efforts, Vanderbilt has led the charge in piloting programmatic improvements to Ambassador programs and fostered an open exchange of ideas to help other similar programs thrive.
Spanning Vanderbilt's Diverse Research Landscape
Recognizing that innovation can be found in all fields across the VU and VUMC campus, Vanderbilt's current Ambassadors represent diverse disciplines including engineering, medicine, science, and education. This interdisciplinary cohort provides broad accessibility and representation as well as specialized guidance across fields, with each Ambassador offering expertise tailored to their domain's unique commercialization challenges. The program also creates a feedback loop, with Ambassadors regularly reporting departmental needs and concerns to CTTC. This communication channel has already led to refinements in Vanderbilt processes and new supportive initiatives.
Connect with a Vanderbilt Innovator: Find Your Departmental Peer
Faculty interested in learning more about innovation or connecting with an Innovation Ambassador in their research area can access vu.edu/VanderbiltInnovators, where detailed profiles of each Ambassador are available.
As the Innovation Ambassadors program enters its third year, its growing influence demonstrates how strategic connections between peers can transform an institution's innovation culture and accelerate the journey from academic discovery to impact.