William and Rhea Seath Awards in
Engineering Innovation
On this page:听WRSA Timeline听触听Eligibility/Requirements听触听Evaluation Criteria 触听How to Apply听触听Terms of the Award
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William and Rhea Seath
The William and Rhea Seath Awards (WRSAs) have been made possible thanks to the generosity of Faculty of Engineering alumnus, the late Mr. William Seath (B.Eng. 1952). These awards support McGill University Faculty of Engineering tenure-track professors and their graduate students by enabling them to accelerate their technology that is听reported as an invention听but needs further validation prior to commercialization.
Call for Applications: November 5, 2024
Up to two equal awards of $25,000 for projects up to 12 months is given as part of this annual competition. They听are reviewed by the McGill Engine Director and awarded by the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering based on the recommendation of a committee composed of faculty, industry and alumni members. Recipients use the awards to support the commercialization of their technologies. Examples of eligible support activities: development, testing, prototype construction, salary stipends for students.
Program Objectives
- Validate early stage technologies
- Advance the invention's听
- Accelerate the technology鈥檚 commercialization and development plan - achieve product-market fit faster
- Further develop the research to strengthen eligibility for additional funding
- Research team works听closely with the assigned Ronald Chwang Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, gaining from their experience, knowledge, and industry connections
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| November 5, 2024 | Call for applications - |
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January 12, 2025听at 11:59 PM ET |
Application deadline听 |
| January and February | Applications are reviewed and evaluated |
| Mid February | Applicants informed of review and evaluation outcomes. Winners announced.听 |
| March 1, 2025 | WRSA project begins |
| March 1, 2026 | WRSA project ends (projects can last up to 12 months, projects can be completed earlier) |
Application Details
Eligibility/Requirements
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Application:听Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.听You can send your draft application for review prior to the deadline to the Engine's associate director, katya.marc [at] mcgill.ca (subject: WRSAs%20Application%20Review) or to one of the Ronald Chwang Entrepreneurs-in-Residence.
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Lead Applicant:听Only candidates who are full-time members of McGill Faculty of Engineering are eligible as lead applicants for the WRSAs. Lead applicants can be graduate students or professors. Students must be registered full-time in a Faculty of Engineering program. Professors must hold an appointment in a department or school formally affiliated with the Faculty of Engineering.听 Professors cannot听hold another Engine gap funding grant (TechAccelR, Innovation Fellowship) for the same invention at the same time as this project grant.
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Invention:听The technology must be reported as an invention to听McGill's听Office of Innovation and Partnerships. Your Technology Transfer Manager鈥檚 assessment and commercialization plan will need to be included in this grant application. Please reach out to them well in advance of the proposal submission deadline.听听
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Project Timeline:听Projects can last up to 12听months maximum, projects can be completed earlier.
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Project Expenses: Applicants must use the funds to advance the technology in accordance with their project technical milestones.听The McGill Engine team can make recommendations for changes to the budget and uses of funds that are required for the acceptance and funding of the project.听Once the grant is awarded, if your milestones and project expenses change significantly from what was in your project proposal (e.g. greater than 10% on any allowed budget item), you must discuss with your mentor and provide the revised milestone(s) and budget to Engine's Associate Director for approval.
- Eligible Expenses:
- Product and process development costs towards achieving technical milestones (e.g., materials, equipment, personnel).
- Non-Eligible Expenses:
- Costs related to non-technical milestones
- publication costs
- patent fees
- incorporation fees
- travel costs听
- Costs related to non-technical milestones
Evaluation
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Applications will be judged and ranked according to the following criteria.
Evaluation Section Percentage Allocated Description Problem Statement 20% What is the problem being solved? Does the proposed solution fill an unmet need? Are your target customers clearly outlined? Have you validated the problem with your target customers? Proposed Solution/Approach 25% Is this a novel, not obvious, and potentially disruptive technology? Has the competitive landscape been identified? Any customer/end user validation? Technology Development and Commercialization Plan 25% What is your project? Is there proof of concept already? What is the听stage of development both of technology and market validation? Is there a strong potential impact or market need? What is the size of the total addressable market?听What are the characteristics of the target market (example: demographics, size, growth rate)?
What is the assessment of the patentability, third party rights, marketability, and commercial potential of the invention/technology? Have the business challenges been identified?
Will this Award greatly help move the technology towards commercialization, e.g. will it attract and accelerate follow-on funding from other sources, significant/relevant technical milestones will be achieved (e.g. go/no-go proof, improved scope and value of the IP, prototype for MVP).
Project Budget by Milestones and Funding 20% Does the proposal clearly identify the key technology development milestones and deliverables? Are the planned expenditures appropriate and justified? Team and Collaborators 10% Who are the current team members? Has any additional talent needed throughout the project been identified?
How to Apply
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Call for applications for the 2024-25 cohort will open on November 5, 2024. The application deadline: January听12, 2025, at 11:59 PM (ET). -
Applicants will need to attach the following documents in the application form.
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If you have any questions and/or wish to have your application reviewed prior to final submission, please contact katya.marc [at] mcgill.ca (subject: WRSAs%20Application%20Review)
Terms of the Award
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Timeline:听Teams have up to 12听months maximum to complete their project听milestones听and deliverables. Unused funds will need to be returned.
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Award: The award will be dispersed into a new account under the PI and entitled W&R Seath Award.Once the grant is awarded, if your milestones and project expenses change significantly from what was in your project proposal (e.g. greater than 10% on any allowed budget item), you must discuss with your mentor and provide the revised milestone(s) and budget to Engine's Associate Director for approval.
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Reporting: Mid-term and final reports are due to the Engine's associate director and the team's assigned mentor showing the project鈥檚 current status, status of IP, commercialization and development plan progress/next steps, and the use of funds.
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Participation: Participate in surveys and requests for feedback in connection with the procedures and services provided by the McGill Engine, with the aim of collaborating in the continuous development of its global offer, research commercialization support, and student experience.
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Mentorship & Training: Meet with assigned business mentor on a regular basis throughout the program (minimum once per month). Attend Engine's entrepreneurial skills development workshops or other entrepreneurial training as suggested by mentor.
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Outreach Activities: Willingness to assist the McGill Engine in outreach activities pertaining to technological innovation and entrepreneurship.
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Promotion: Acknowledgement and promotion of the award and the McGill Engine in publications and communications arising from the project through your own networks and events.
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Consent: Consent to the publication of your picture, name, as well as pictures and names of co-applicants, the title of the project, and amount of funding.
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Giving back:听The McGill Engine does not take equity in McGill spin-off companies. There is an expectation, but no requirement, that participating researchers will make a non-binding charitable pledge听to McGill Engine aimed at sustaining the activities of the McGill Engine Centre and helping the next generation of technological innovators and entrepreneurs that the Centre supports.听Funding is听not听conditional on a researcher signing a pledge.
