Prize for Postgraduate Students in Health EUR 20,000 at the Innovation Cup 2021

Merck invites postgraduate students to participate in the Innovation Cup 2021 with different field studies teams. The Innovation Cup in its tenth year brings together a promising new generation of academic talents from life sciences, material sciences, data sciences and business administration with the company’s senior management, researchers and accomplished retirees. This meeting of the minds is a creative and innovative platform aimed at advancing science and technology. 

Eligibility Criteria:

• Participating at the Innovation Cup is open to any postgraduate student with an interest in the pharmaceutical and chemical industry, the Innovation Cup is his chance to gain in-depth knowledge about pharmaceutical and chemical research and development, to network with top students from around the world and to build a business case together with experienced professionals.
• Merck invites advanced students in life sciences, chemistry, physics, computer sciences and business administration from all over the world to apply for participation in the Innovation Cup. 50 students will be selected:

1. Sciences: Postgraduate students in the life, material and data sciences, on their way towards a
   PhD in biology, chemistry, medicine, physics, biotech, bioinformatics, biochemistry, pharmacy, informatics, computer science, data science, engineering or related fields. Also, Post Docs can apply!
2. Business: Advanced MBA students or recent MBA graduates with an interest in the pharmaceutical business and a life science background.

Prizes:

The winning team will receive the Innovation Cup along with EUR 20,000 (and EUR 5,000 for the runner-up team).

Note: All travel, accommodation and food expenses will be paid by the company. 

How it Works:

• During a one week Summer Camp, 50 selected postgraduate students will attend in-depth presentations about the pharmaceutical and chemical industry given by Merck management, scientists and external experts. 
• Participants will work in small teams to generate an innovative idea that addresses a scientific challenge and develop the idea into a business plan. 
• Teams will receive coaching and guidance from experienced veterans of the company, the Summer Camp moderator and Merck Innovation Management. 
• The student will learn the essentials about R&D within the pharmaceutical and chemical industry and understand how products are successfully discovered, developed and brought to market. 
• The student will learn to evaluate his ideas from a technical and business perspective and build a convincing business plan.
• The teams will present their business plans to a grand jury. 
• The jury will be composed of Merck's top management plus external consultants. 
• The jury will select the best business plan and present the winning team with the Innovation Cup award and a cash prize of EUR 20,000 plus EUR 5,000 for the runner-up. On the first day of the Innovation Cup, a conference with alumni from previous events will be organized with ample networking opportunities.

About Merck:

Merck is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the health and well being of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Their efforts are primarily focused on improving access to innovative healthcare solutions in under-served communities, building healthcare and scientific research capacity and empowering people in STEM* with a special focus on women and youth.

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