An award initiative of the IUB Vice-Chancellor · Faculty round, 2026

You built something real.
Let's give it real-world impact.

This round is open to IUB faculty. i2i takes mature research outputs, tested tools, datasets and partnership-ready work and accelerates them toward pilots, industry links and real-world adoption — over an 8-month pathway with mentoring and institutional backing.

Applications closedSee how it works
—
days · Faculty round
8 months
of mentored incubation
4 tiers
Bronze → Platinum
No login
apply in one sitting
One rule to know first: i2i is not an idea competition. Bring work that already exists— a tested tool, a research output, a dataset, a working prototype — not a concept you haven't built yet.
The journey

From your submission to real impact, in seven stages

You focus on stages 1 and 2. We handle the rest with you.

01

Get discovered

Your finished project is spotted through clubs, competitions, capstones, labs or IUB360 — or you just apply directly.

02

Apply online

A short form + a one-page diagram, plus an optional 2–3 min video. No account, no login — start and finish in one sitting.

03

Readiness screening

A small task team checks your project is real, mature and evidence-backed before it goes further.

04

Committee review

The i2i Committee selects projects and reviews them in the faculty track.

05

8-month incubation

Mentoring, industry validation and badge progression — Bronze to Platinum — as your project grows.

06

Launch / Shark-Tank

The strongest teams pitch to an industry & investor-style panel. Platinum recognition on the line.

07

Your next pathway

Startup, industry partnership, internship, pilot, or a research-to-impact showcase — mapped to where you fit.

Who applies

This round: faculty stream only

Open now

Faculty stream

For mature research outputs, tested tools, datasets, policy or intervention models, and partnership-ready work needing pilot, IP/legal review, industry links, PR/CSR, or productification.

Research outputsTested toolsDatasetsPartnership-ready work
Closed

Student stream

For final-year & capstone projects, competition builds, tested prototypes, and student teams. Students are welcome on a faculty-led team in the meantime. This stream reopens in a later round.

Final-year projectsCapstonesCompetition buildsClub & team outputs

This round is open to IUB faculty only. A faculty-led project may still include students on the team.

Recognition

Grow through four award tiers

Every stage of contribution counts — badges, portfolio evidence, and a certificate that means something to employers.

Bronze

Recognised participation in an approved innovation, club, competition or workshop activity.

Silver

Structured activity completed, plus evidence you contributed to a project, challenge or internship prep.

Gold

Active project contribution with mentoring, validation, prototype/service work or showcase prep.

Platinum

Leadership on a project reaching demo, pilot, startup, partnership or measurable impact.

The people behind i2i

Mentors & Evaluation Committee

Industry leaders and IUB faculty who evaluate, guide and champion every selected project.

Industry Mentors

Leaders from industry who guide each selected team through the 8-month incubation journey.

13 members
  • Samiul Hassan
    Samiul Hassan
    Head of IT Strategy & Business Partnering
    ACI Plc
  • Adnan Dewan
    Adnan Dewan
    Assistant Vice President
    Startup Bangladesh
  • Md Ali Armanur Rahman
    Md Ali Armanur Rahman
    Chief Operating Officer - Fintech
    Pathao
  • Ms. Kishower Amin
    Ms. Kishower Amin
    Programme Manager, Public Finance Management (PFM)
    Development Cooperation Unit, European Union (EU)
  • Noor Mahmud Khan
    Noor Mahmud Khan
    Founder, CEO & MD
    PUL Group and Right Brain Solution Ltd.
  • Mushfique Manzoor
    Mushfique Manzoor
    Co-Founder & Managing Director
    OpenRefactory, Inc.
  • Saydujjaman
    Saydujjaman
    Founder and CEO
    Shonod
  • Mohammad Rashidul Hasan
    Mohammad Rashidul Hasan
    Head of Governance, Information Technology
    Grameenphone
  • Rezwan Ali
    Rezwan Ali
    Director
    Omega Exim Plc
  • A. T. M. Matiur Rahman
    A. T. M. Matiur Rahman
    Managing Director
    JAJIRA GROUP
  • Tasnuva Chowdhury
    Tasnuva Chowdhury
    DGM, Business Development
    Beximco LPG
  • Zakia Azizee
    Zakia Azizee
    Owner and Founder
    Freyja
Nashid Ali
Industry Mentor Lead
Nashid Ali
Founder & CEO, Cloud Creative
Assistant Professor (Adjunct Faculty), IUB
Mentor, Stanford Seed | AfroClimate Foundation

Evaluation Committee — Industry Members

Industry leaders who assessed every application for maturity, evidence and potential.

3 members
  • Ivy Huq Russell
    Ivy Huq Russell
    CEO
    Bangladesh Angels Network
  • Ismat Jerin Khan
    Ismat Jerin Khan
    Managing Director
    Jermatz Limited
  • Md. Shakhawat Hossain
    Md. Shakhawat Hossain
    CEO, Threads & Accessories Division
    DBL Group

Evaluation Committee — School Representatives

Faculty members nominated by their Deans to represent each school of IUB.

6 members
  • Prof. Dr. Khosru Mohammad Salim
    Prof. Dr. Khosru Mohammad Salim
    Professor, Electrical and Electronic Engineering
    School of Engineering, Technology and Sciences
  • Dr. Imran Firdaus
    Dr. Imran Firdaus
    Assistant Professor and Head, Media and Communication
    School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
  • Dr. Md. Toriqul Islam
    Dr. Md. Toriqul Islam
    Assistant Professor, Law
    School of Law
  • Dr. Md. Shafayat Hossain
    Dr. Md. Shafayat Hossain
    Assistant Professor, Pharmacy
    School of Pharmacy and Public Health
  • Arrafy Rahman
    Arrafy Rahman
    Lecturer A, Life Sciences
    School of Environment and Life Sciences
  • M. Sadman Sadik
    M. Sadman Sadik
    Lecturer B, Marketing
    School of Business and Entrepreneurship
Watch first

How to apply, start to finish

A short walkthrough of every step of the form — what each question is really asking, and what the screening team looks for in your answers.

Applications closed⬇ One-pager templateWatch on YouTube
Apply guide

Get these ready before you start

Problem + specific user + existing output + real evidence + impact route + requested support = a committee-ready application

A short title

Describe the output, not the research topic.

A 2–3 min video (optional)

Recommended, not required. Problem, output, evidence, user and the support you want — a pitch, not a lecture.

A one-page diagram

Problem → user → solution → process → outputs → impact route, in one view.

Real evidence files

Test results, survey data, feedback, reports — with source, year and link.

A specific user/client

Name the first real person or team who needs this. Not “society”.

Ownership & risk notes

IP, ethics, data access, continuity — be honest about what could block it.

The AI & evidence rule

Use AI to help draft wording, your video, or your diagram — that's fine. But every source, statistic, and piece of evidence must be real and traceable. Fabricated, unverifiable, or misleading evidence gets an application excluded before it reaches the Committee.

Your 2–3 min video OPTIONAL

0:00–0:20Project & team — who you are and what you built.
0:20–0:50The specific user/client and the problem they face.
0:50–1:25What already exists — show the prototype, tool, model or dataset.
1:25–2:05Your evidence and why it matters — data, tests, feedback, benchmarks.
2:05–3:00The support you request, the outcome you want, and honest risks.

Record a short pitch — not a lecture.

Your one-page diagram

One simple flow that makes the whole project clear at a glance. Include:

Problem / needUser / clientExisting outputInputs neededProcess / pathwayOutputs & impact route

Not a technical architecture drawing — show the user and the impact.

A worked example

What a strong application looks like

Illustrative only — replace with your own real project, evidence, and users.

Illustrative example · tested prototype

Campus Shuttle Demand Prediction & Route Planning Tool

Pilot-ready
The problem

First-year and commuting students face uncertain shuttle waiting times at peak hours, hurting punctuality and attendance. Evidence: 6 weeks of shuttle logs, a 126-response survey, and complaint records.

The output

A working dashboard + route-recommendation prototype that shows demand by time block, flags peak pressure points, and generates a daily route suggestion for the Transport/Operations team.

The evidence

Tested on 6 weeks of historical data; in simulated peaks, route adjustments cut estimated waiting time 15–18%. Survey confirms waiting-time uncertainty as a top issue.

The ask

Committee routing into a structured 8-week pilot with Transport/Operations, plus IUB360 mentoring — desired outcome: a completed campus pilot or a clear implementation decision.

The one-page diagram
View full size ↗
Example one-page diagram for the Campus Shuttle Demand Prediction and Route Planning Tool, in three linked panels. Innovation: a demand prediction dashboard and a route planning prototype. Target: students using the campus shuttle, and IUB Transport & Operations. Impact: less waiting-time uncertainty, better student punctuality and experience, more efficient shuttle scheduling, and stronger evidence for a pilot or implementation.
Innovation → target → impact: the whole project readable at a glance. Yours can be simpler — clarity matters more than polish.
Ready check

Tick these off before you submit

0 of 8 checked
Applications closed
Questions

Frequently asked

Your work deserves a second life.

Open to IUB faculty. Apply in one sitting — no account needed. Prefer to draft offline first? Grab the one-page template.

Applications closed⬇ One-pager template