new projects

Those interested in pursuing a new project with the lab should prepare a 5 minute pitch to the lab. The expectation is that this has had roughly 3-5 hours of work behind it, and a few weeks of thought percolation (unless it’s something you see as happening immediately). There should be no more than 3 slides, not including the title or collaborator slide. The slides should include at least one plot, indicative of an MVP (minimum viable product).

Email Alex Caceres-Wright to get on our pitch schedule. Note: People who are not currently in the lab may pitch! But if you’re outside of the lab, please send along additional information about why you want to pitch us, and who you are.

If we all are on board with the verbal pitch, you spend a greater amount of time fleshing out related literature, data, etc. And then submit something written to Kenny. He might share it with the lab, or just have a conversation with you.

Pitch Content

The pitch should answer a portion of the Heilmeier questions:

• What are you trying to do?
• What parts can you do?
• What parts do you need us to (help) do?
• How is it done today, and what are the limits of current practice? (Note: the latter should focus heavily on the academic literature)
• What is new in your approach and why do you think it will be successful? (Note: the former should focus heavily on the academic literature)
• Who cares? If you are successful, what difference will it make? (The why)
• Culture fit - why is this relevant to the cUBeLab values and goals?

The pitch should also include potential collaborators, internal and/or external. If the potential collaborators are external, 1 slide should be an introduction to the collaborators, their previous work (preferably relevant to the project) and why the presenter believes they’re a good fit.

Note: If the pitch is coming from a PhD student outside of the lab, their advisor should be aware they are presenting.

Q&A

Each pitch presentation is followed by a Q&A section to inform the follow up discussion.

Pitch Follow Up

Every proposal will receive a response within 7-14 business days stating whether the proposal is accepted, rejected, or needs revision.

Kenny has the final say, but as a lab, rejection can be for any of the following reasons:

• Lab/individual bandwidth
• Inadequately followed pitch instructions
• Not well scoped enough, considering:
  • Do we, collectively (or with your proposed collaborators), know the literature well enough?
  • Do we have the data?
  • Are the research questions likely to end up bloating?
  • Does this align with your thesis work? [if not, scope conditions are different]