This was an inaugural event to celebrate and announce the winners of the 2017 Discovery Innovation Awards at Stanford Medicine. These competitive seed grants support early-stage research that could exponentially accelerate our understanding of human biology—and our ability to predict, prevent, and cure disease. Held in March of 2018, the event began with a reception followed by keynotes from School of Medicine Dean, Lloyd Minor, MD and Roger Kornberg, MD, PhD, a Stanford Nobel Laureate. After that, the audience heard five-minute flash talks from five present and past Discovery Innovation Award winners and explored hands-on "innovation stations" that showcased the exciting work being conducted in the awardees' labs.
From the Judges
Stanford University's 2017 Discovery Innovation Awards serves a solid example of how universities can engage donors in the impact that research has, and the impact that these awards have on medicine. There was careful planning in design and coaching of the "TED" style flash talks and keynote and a focused understanding of objectives for the audience so that the information was relatable. The added element of interactive hands-on experiences that followed the talks demonstrates ways in which institutions can translate complex medical problems and solutions in a relatable way to donors and prospects. They did a great job of maintaining the element of celebration for award recipients while still raising awareness and presenting a call to action. They also exhibited the value that collaborative efforts between development colleagues, faculty and students can have on event success.
