NAI Chapter

At the individual level, our members can be found throughout campus, meeting with community members to educate and engage, and hosting a variety of events to support innovation to commercialization efforts.  As an organization, we provide professional development opportunities and help support Demo Day, CSU’s annual innovation symposium.  Additionally, we collaborate with CSU groups, such as the Office for the Vice President for Research, the Graduate School, the Institute for Entrepreneurship, and the Energy Institute, to provide science communication workshops, guest lecturers, professional development opportunities. 

Our NAI Chapter offers a platform for members to engage and network with innovative student, faculty, and staff members across CSU and the NAI Global Academic Inventors Network (GAIN).  Becoming a member is free and offers a variety of benefits to both students and faculty.

Students

• Take part in student-led events featuring faculty, alumni, and members of industry
• Showcase your passion for innovation and ability to take leadership roles by becoming a NAI chapter student officer
• Learn about technology transfer, intellectual property, and economic prospects of technologies
• Access to the GAIN program through the NAI and expand your network
• Interact with a collective group of innovative faculty, staff, and researchers at CSU

Faculty, Staff, and Post-docs

• Connect, communicate, and translate inventions and technologies with other NAI members
• Become an NAI Inventor member or NAI Honorary member; additionally, be nominated for NAI Sr. Member or Fellow
• Become a mentor in the Global Academic Inventors Network (GAIN)
• Understand the nuances of university-owned intellectual property and the technology transfer process
• Connect with the USPTO and intellectual property professionals

Student Members:  Graduate and undergraduate students of CSU.  Active student membership is open to all CSU students, with the right to vote and hold office. A student may also become an NAI Inventor or honorary member if those membership conditions are met.

Faculty Members:  Any CSU faculty who is interested in supporting the growth of the innovative ecosystem at CSU.

Senior Members: NAI Senior Members are active faculty, scientists, and administrators with success in patents, licensing, and commercialization and have produced technologies that have brought or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society. Senior Members are nominated each year by the CSU Strata team. 

Fellows: The NAI Fellows Program was established to highlight academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society. Election to NAI Fellow status is the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors. Fellows are nominated each year by the CSU Strata team.

Student Officers:  Create, supervise, and advertise events and workshops hosted by the NAI chapter. Officer duties will be delegated to the student depending on the role (president, financial officer, events officer, etc.). Officers will meet on a regular basis.

Faculty Advisory Committee:  Facilitate an environment that encourages innovation within the community of inventors, researchers, and students at CSU. Participate in student-led events, and attend general meetings to discuss the state of the NAI chapter and establish goals.

All Others:  Attend events (workshops, guest lecturers, luncheons, etc.) hosted by the NAI chapter.  All members are encouraged to interact with others by communicating innovations, networking with other inventors, and discussing professional development opportunities.