Established in 2018, the Global Academic Inventors Network (GAIN) was created to connect seasoned academic inventors with collegiate innovators for the purpose of mentorship.
In collaboration with our technology specialists at FirstHand, the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) is proud to share this networking and mentorship platform as a benefit afforded exclusively to NAI Member Institutions. Your participation is a direct investment in the future generation of innovation and commitment to the creation of a better world for all.
Who can be a mentor?
Any NAI Fellows, Senior Members, or Members of NAI Affiliated Institutions with a US Patent.
Who can be a mentee?
Any enrolled student or current faculty/staff employee of an NAI Affiliated Institution.
Unsure if your institution is a member?
How it Works
Using a powerful matching algorithm, GAIN pairs aspiring innovators with their best matches for a mentor. Mentees can then review matches and request consultations with the experts they find the most relevant to their goals. When a consultation is requested by a mentee with suggested times, the mentor will have five days to respond. At any time before or after the meeting, you can talk with one another via the platform’s chat box feature. The calendar synchronization and digital meeting rooms protect the privacy of both parties while still allowing connections to be made!
GAIN Overview
Mentees
Using your .edu email, you can register today to become a mentee on a platform designed to help you succeed.
As a mentee, you can have multiple consultations with one person, or speak with multiple mentors who have a variety of experience and skill sets. You will have the opportunity to gain valuable insight during your consultations on topics such as:
- Product Design and Development
- Research
- Idea Generation
- Licensing
- Commercialization
- IP Protection
- Patent Filing
- Start-up Process
- Marketing
- Fundraising
GAIN is only available to our Member Institutions, providing an exclusive opportunity for you to connect and collaborate with experienced academic inventors. Whether you have a pioneering idea that you want guidance on, you need help filing a patent, or you are just curious about the industry of innovation, there is a mentor for you! Your participation could lead to countless opportunities, ideas, innovations, and connections.
The GAIN platform also boasts a vast webinar library on topics ranging from interview advice to entrepreneurship and consulting. This library gives mentees access to a variety of professional development resources at no cost. Your commitment to your professional growth will be celebrated and accelerated through GAIN, and NAI aims to enable you to surpass all of your goals while improving the world.
Mentee
User Guide
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Mentors
By becoming a mentor, you can experience the value of working with students and young innovators around the world, impacting their future in unlimited ways. Academia serves as a catalyst for research and innovation, but it also embodies the rare opportunity for impactful relationship building between established thinkers and young minds ready to be inspired. GAIN harnesses this opportunity in a way that makes it accessible, safe, and easy to use for all. When we think about the future, those thoughts should be accompanied by feelings of excitement, hope, and possibilities. You have the power to ensure that’s the case.
Mentor
User Guide
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Questions?
If You Have Any Questions Regarding GAIN, please contact
[email protected].
