Program Process

The LEAP-U program targets later-stage inventions and prototypes with a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 3 and above. SRA works closely with Technology Transfer Offices and individual researchers to scope the project direction and build a statement of work that matures existing innovations towards commercialization.

For researchers:

Please work with your Technology Transfer Office to prepare a short project brief describing your invention including any applicable background IP.

For Technology Transfer Offices:

Please review the program criteria and reach out to the LEAP-U team to align on focus areas for which we are seeking technologies for maturation.

Nov - Feb
Technology Discovery
Feb - Mar
Full Proposal Submission and Interview
Sep - Oct
Demo Showcase
Nov - Apr
Continued Research or Graduation

Program Calendar

Nov - Feb

Technology Discovery

LEAP-U team collaborates with Technology Transfer and Research Contract Offices to identify investigators and later-stage inventions with demonstrated proof-of-concepts.

For 2025, Samsung is directly reaching out to select North American universities as part of this pilot. We expect to open up the program to all universities in 2026. The timeline is subject to change.

Feb - Mar

Full Proposal Submission and Interview

LEAP-U team provides guidance on project, research direction, and feedback to applicants to refine their proposals and scopes of work.

Research Agreement contracting is expected to occur during March – April.

Samsung recommends that projects commence by April.

Sep - Oct

Demo Showcase

Research teams demonstrate project outputs and impact for each project.

Nov - Apr

Continued Research or Graduation

Technologies are considered for further research collaborations or commercialization efforts.

There are several opportunities for continued advancement, such as renewal of research projects and pathways to additional Samsung startup funding programs for entrepreneurial individuals.

Program Criteria

The LEAP-U team will evaluate all submitted proposals based on the following criteria:

Existing Innovations and Research Potential
  • The technology has a defensible base of existing innovations and sets a strong foundation for a research roadmap over the next 3-5 years.
Disruptiveness
  • The technology solves an unmet need, and/or poses a paradigm shift compared to existing solutions or research and is timely based on market signals.
Scalability
  • The technology can be applied to multiple commercial products or services.
Business Potential
  • The technology has a high commercial potential for a new Samsung product/business line.
Co-Innovation
  • The technology can serve as a platform for collaborative research and development with Samsung.
  • The technology’s applications can be jointly developed with Samsung and, when applicable, share in IP rights with Samsung.

 

Considerations
  • Applicants must be university professors or researchers, working in collaboration with their Technology Transfer Offices.
  • To be eligible for funds under the LEAP-U program, the selected applicant’s university must sign a Research Agreement.
  • The application shall ensure that no confidential or proprietary information is included in the submitted proposals. Samsung will treat all the information submitted in the proposals as non-confidential and non-proprietary. Under the LEAP-U program, submitted proposals will be reviewed by Samsung, including researchers familiar with the information provided in the project proposal. During the evaluation process, Samsung cannot maintain the confidentiality of any information outlined in the proposals. Accordingly, Samsung does not require any information that may be deemed confidential by the university researcher, the Technology Transfer Office, or university.