Team Master's Project: An Innovative Outsourcing Solution

KGI will work with you to help focus your project and maximize outcomes. Past projects vary greatly from science- to business-oriented and have included the following:

• Development of a quantitative decision framework for the commercial integration of whole genome sequencing into the sponsor’s extensive service offerings
• Recommended optimization strategy that balances internal v. external sourcing to help the company reduce a manufacturing bottleneck. The optimization strategy would minimally consider the following parameters: time, cost, resources, complexity, location, competency/expertise, communication, intellectual property, regulatory risk, quality and safety
• Sponsor plan to relinquish several non-core pharmaceutical assets. This analysis (1) ascertained the current value of each program by reviewing competitors, stage of development, NPV of development and potential revenue, etc.; and (2) identified a list of targeted companies for potential partnerships, licensing deals, asset sales, etc.
• Emergency technology early warning systems project their likely impact on future pharmaceutical markets. Specified technologies included diagnostics such as novel serological, cellular, histological, molecular, and genetic assays
• Assessment of computational procedures commonly used to generate three-dimensional structures of small molecules and validation of same by comparing computer-generated and experimental structures
• Development of software and hardware tools for image acquisition and analysis of sensitive protein and peptide separation results
• Development and validation of novel methods for peptide and protein separations using the sponsor’s proprietary system

Tomorrow’s bioscience business leaders working on your project today!

Your project will be managed by a team of three to five advanced graduate students. Focused and highly capable, our students have backgrounds in biology, bioengineering, chemistry, physics, medicine, and more.

Typically, student teams manage TMPs from fall through spring semesters contributing approximately 2,000 hours in aggregate to your project. Additionally, a subset of team members can work as summer interns to jump-start the full project prior to the fall kickoff.

The student team—in collaboration with the faculty advisor and corporate liaison—develops a project plan that details milestones, accountabilities, deliverables, and timelines. While this plan guides the team’s efforts over the life of the project, it is frequently updated to reflect changing information and marketplace dynamics.

Each sponsoring organization identifies at least one internal champion to collaborate with the team over the life of the project. This liaison helps monitor and guide team progress, and serves as the gateway to the rest of the organization.

The team and liaison will establish a regular communications schedule (for example, weekly phone conferences) as well as short- and long-term milestones and deliverables.

In addition to solid knowledge of the project topic, the liaison should possess good communication skills, candor, and an interest in collaborating with highly skilled, highly energetic graduate students.