College Inventors & Entrepreneurs Face-Off In March Madness For The Mind

You probably know about the NCAA, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, but did you know that there is a National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA)?  It has approximately 200 college and university members, and more than 5,000 students at these institutions are on entrepreneurial inventor teams (E-Teams).  Now, 15 of those teams are getting ready for a face-off at the March Madness for the Mind showcase in San Francisco.

The three-day event, March 25 - March 27, 2010 at the San Francisco Hilton, Financial District, will feature lectures and panels but, most importantly, it will bring the "E-Teams" together with venture capitalists who can further the advancement of the student inventions.  Additionally, the 15 E-Teams, which received grants from the NCIIA last year, will exhibit their inventions to the public at the March Madness for the Mind showcase at San Francisco's Exploratorium® in the Palace of Fine Arts on March 27, 2010.

Here is a look at a few student inventions...

LoChlorine, a system for purifying polluted water: E-Team, University Of California at Berkeley

EBM Helmet providrd additional protection against brain injuries commonly sustained by football players.: E-Team, Michigan Technological University

ApneAlert, a kangaroo mother care-compatible system for detecting apnea episodes in premature infants.: E-Team, Northwestern University

The "face-off?"  Starting February 26, 2010, the public will be able to view the E-Team projects on video and vote for your favorite invention at Inventors Digest.  The winning invention will be announced at the March Madness event.

The NCIIA receives support from the Lemelson Foundation and the National Science Foundation, as well as the membership of nearly 200 colleges and unviersities throughout the U.S.