OTC InnovAItion Insights Intern

Department: Office of Technology Commercialization

Employment Type: Internship

Location: Purdue Research Foundation

Compensation: $16.00 / hour

Description

As part of Purdue Innovates, the Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) at Purdue Research Foundation manages the evaluation, protection, and marketing of innovations developed by Purdue University researchers. Each year, OTC receives hundreds of new technology disclosures that require careful assessment before they can be positioned for licensing or industry engagement.

As an InnovAItion Insights Intern, you will play a key role in this process by supporting the evaluation, organization, and promotion of early-stage technologies. This internship combines structured analysis with creative communication: from running disclosures through AI-driven assessment tools and preparing standardized reports, to maintaining and updating our public-facing licensing website that showcases Purdue’s technology portfolio.

This position is well-suited for students who are detail-oriented, curious about emerging innovations, and eager to gain hands-on experience at the intersection of research, business strategy, and technology commercialization.

This position will require occasional in-office work and is based in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Responsibilities

• Run Technologies Through AI Agents: Input new and existing disclosures into our internal evaluation agents.
• Format & Export Reports: Copy and paste outputs into standardized Word templates, ensuring consistency and accuracy.
• Database Uploads: Save and upload finalized reports into our internal database (SharePoint/OneDrive). 
• Slide Deck Creation: Generate marketing slide decks (1-pagers, pitch decks) based on agent outputs.
• Quality Check: Review AI outputs for clarity and completeness before finalizing documents.
• Create and upload AI-generated images for our technologies to the website.
• Update existing listings as technologies progress (patent status, TRL, commercialization stage).
• Support Licensing Associates: Assist with company outreach lists, LinkedIn research, and email preparation.
• Tailored Marketing Materials: Help adapt technology summaries/FAQs for specific companies or industries.
• Competitive Benchmarking Support: Compile short lists of competitor products or market activity using agent tools.
• Commercialization Insights: Contribute to prioritization discussions by flagging notable technologies or patterns in the pipeline.
• Perform website administration tasks: uploading of AI-generated images for our technologies.

Required Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Strong attention to detail and ability to follow structured processes.
• Curiosity about science, technology, and business applications.
• Comfort with learning new software platforms (our internal copilot agents).
• Strong written communication skills for formatting and editing outputs.
• Self-starter mindset; ability to manage repetitive tasks while maintaining quality.
• Commitment to remain in the role for at least 1 year (ideally 2) to ensure continuity and skill development.

Required Education, Experience and Benefits Summary

• HS Diploma/GED equivalent required.
• Prior experience using AI tools for research, writing, analysis, etc.