Neuroscience Startup Jobs in Indiana (NOW HIRING)

The Indiana University Launch Accelerator for Biosciences (IU LAB) is a first-of-its-kind academic-industry initiative harnessing the power of Indiana University's $1 billion plus research enterprise to strengthen Indiana's $102 billion life sciences economy. Supported by a $138 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., IU LAB is constructing a 150,000-square-foot, five-story facility in the 16 Tech Innovation District slated to open in 2027.
The facility will house five interconnected spaces: the Academic Gateway, Futures Center, Bio Start-up Center, Public-Private Partnerships Center, and Joint Center of Excellence for Point of Care Precision Medicine - designed to bridge discovery science with commercial and clinical impact. IU LAB's research priorities span diabetes and obesity, neuroscience, Alzheimer's disease, rare diseases, cancer, bone engineering, and regenerative medicine, with a growing emphasis on the convergence of biosciences and artificial intelligence.
IU LAB anchors a network of landmark industry partnerships - including a clinical trial and research agreement with Eli Lilly and Company valued at up to $40 million, a five-year All Services Agreement with Cook Medical spanning all nine IU campuses, and a three-year research and workforce development partnership with Zimmer Biomet. Through the IU Health Incubator at IU LAB, powered by gener8tor and Plug and Play in partnership with the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership, up to 40 biotech and life science startups per year receive pre-accelerator and accelerator support to scale within Indiana's innovation ecosystem.
Job Summary
The Chief Scientific Officer & Vice President, Research and Development is the senior scientific and translational leader of IU LAB, responsible for defining the organization's research vision and architecting high-impact R&D partnerships that translate Indiana University's scientific strengths into industry-aligned programs, licensing agreements, and commercial pathways that generate measurable economic and clinical impact.
This leader will serve as the senior scientific voice of IU LAB while simultaneously building the research and development infrastructure needed to grow its portfolio of industry collaborations, sponsored research, consortium-based initiatives, and startup ventures.
Reporting to the IU LAB President & CEO, the CSO & VP of R&D will bridge IU's world-class research faculty across IU's nine campuses with corporate R&D organizations, venture capital, federal funders, and clinical partners, ensuring that institutional capabilities are organized into coherent, industry-relevant offerings and federal grant opportunities. The CSO/VP will also oversee IU LAB's research cores and scientific programming, ensuring alignment, excellence, and scalability across all translational activities.
The ideal candidate combines deep scientific credibility in the life sciences with a demonstrated ability to design complex, multi-stakeholder models and build revenue-generating programs from the ground up. This role is modeled on best practices from leading university innovation platforms and is designed to accelerate IU LAB's trajectory toward becoming a nationally preeminent hub for bioscience commercialization.
Department-Specific Responsibilities

• Scientific Strategy & Research Leadership
  • Define and steward IU LAB's scientific roadmap across its core research priorities: diabetes and obesity, neuroscience and Alzheimer's disease, rare diseases, cancer, bone engineering, regenerative medicine, and the convergence of biosciences with artificial intelligence and machine learning, ensuring alignment with both faculty strengths and industry demand.
  • Lead the design and coordination of research cores across IU LAB, establishing a unified, partner-facing R&D infrastructure.
  • Identify and evaluate the commercial viability of IU's research pipeline, identifying high-potential discoveries for licensing, spin-out, or co-development with industry partners.
  • Chair or co-chair IU LAB's Scientific Advisory Committee, engaging external thought leaders to validate strategic direction and maintain scientific rigor.
  • Collaborate with IU Research leadership, IU's Innovation and Commercialization Office, faculty investigators, and clinical researchers across all nine campuses to surface translatable discoveries and align them with market opportunities.
  • Oversee the scientific programming within the Joint Center of Excellence for Point of Care Precision Medicine, ensuring alignment with emerging therapeutic and diagnostic frontiers.
  • Design and advise on consortium models spanning philanthropic, industry, and federal government-funded opportunities, aligning sponsor objectives with IU capabilities and translational outcomes.
  • Guide expansion of existing partnerships and identify new scientific areas of collaboration.
• Industry Partnership Development & Management
  • Represent IU LAB as its senior scientific voice in engagements with industry, venture capital, and federal stakeholders. Inform (rather than Prospect, negotiate, and close) new industry-sponsored research agreements, joint ventures, licensing deals, and master collaboration frameworks with pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostic, and digital health companies.
  • Design partnership models and outcomes that maximize mutual value, providing corporate partners with access to IU's research talent and IP while generating revenue and co-development opportunities for IU LAB.
  • Build and maintain high-level discussions with corporate partners to define long-term collaboration strategies.
  • Elevate IU LAB's national and international profile at industry conferences, investor summits, and regulatory forums to expand its visibility and deal flow.
• Startup Ecosystem & Commercialization
  • Provide strategic oversight of the IU Health Incubator at IU LAB to align the IU LAB's research strategy and startup ecosystem, ensuring the pre-accelerator (powered by gener8tor) and LifeTech Accelerator (powered by Plug and Play and CICP) attract and develop up to 40 high-potential startups per year.
  • Ensure alignment between IU LAB's research strategy and its startup and commercialization ecosystem.
  • Provide scientific guidance for Bio Start-up Center programming, including mentorship frameworks, investor demo days, and connections to clinical validation pathways at IU Health and partner institutions.
  • Partner with IU LAB Bio Start-up leadership to develop deal structures for IU LAB's engagement with portfolio startups, balancing equity, licensing, and service-based models that align university and founder interests.
  • Cultivate relationships with venture capital firms, angel networks, corporate venture arms, and federal funding agencies (NIH SBIR/STTR, NSF I-Corps, ARPA-H, BARDA) to expand capital access for IU LAB-affiliated ventures.
• Revenue Strategy & Financial Stewardship
  • Develop and execute a multi-year revenue plan encompassing industry-sponsored research, licensing income, accelerator program fees, membership models, and facility-based revenue streams tied to the 150,000-sq.-ft. facility opening in 2027.
  • Serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, contributing to organizational strategy and governance.
  • In partnership with executive team. build financial models and business cases for new ventures, partnership expansions, and capital investments, presenting recommendations to the President & CEO and the IU Inc. Board of Directors.
  • Inform the business development operating budget with fiscal discipline and transparency, ensuring resources are deployed against highest-return opportunities.
  • Identify and pursue federal and philanthropic grant opportunities to supplement industry revenue and support early-stage research translation.
• Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Build and lead a high-performing scientific team spanning research leadership, core operations, and translational program design Foster a culture across IU campuses of entrepreneurial urgency, scientific excellence, and collaboration, aligning incentives and participation in IU LAB initiatives.
  • Partner with the IU LAB Academic Gateway leadership to integrate workforce development, credentialing, and experiential learning programs with industry and startup needs.
  • Coordinate with IU Inc.'s subsidiary organizations - IU Applied Research Center and IU Realty -, to identify synergies and cross-portfolio opportunities.
  • Serve as a member of the IU LAB executive leadership team, contributing to organization-wide strategy, governance, and Board reporting.

Qualifications
Combinations of related education and experience may be considered. Education beyond the minimum required may be substituted for work experience. Work experience beyond the minimum required may be substituted for education.
EDUCATION
Required

• Ph.D., DSc, M.D., Pharm.D., or equivalent terminal doctoral degree in a life sciences discipline (e.g., biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, biomedical engineering, neuroscience, or a related field).

Preferred

• MBA, J.D., or supplementary business/legal credential in addition to a doctoral degree.

WORK EXPERIENCE
Required

• Minimum of 12 years of progressive experience in life sciences R&D, technology commercialization, or business development, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role in industry and/or applied academic (university or research institute) setting.
• Proven track record of originating and closing industry-sponsored research agreements, licensing transactions, or strategic partnerships valued at $5 million or more. Strong understanding and some direct experience in managing or overseeing research portfolios spanning multiple therapeutic areas or technology platforms from basic research to translational research to commercialization.
• Demonstrated success building and leading cross-functional teams in a matrixed, multi-stakeholder environment.
• Experience working at the academic-industry interface, with a nuanced understanding of university IP policies, technology transfer processes and incentives, and faculty-scientist engagement models.

Preferred

• Extensive and direct experience in managing or overseeing research portfolios spanning multiple therapeutic areas or technology platforms from basic research to translational research to commercialization.
• Extensive and direct experience in the pharmaceutical, medical device, or diagnostics industry in a scientific leadership or business development capacity.
• Direct experience in establishing relationships with major life sciences companies headquartered or operating in Indiana (e.g., Eli Lilly, Cook Medical, Zimmer Biomet, Roche, Elanco).
• Experience designing or managing startup incubator, accelerator, or venture development programs within a university or innovation district setting.
• Familiarity with federal research funding mechanisms, including NIH, NSF, ARPA-H, BARDA, and DOD biomedical research programs.
• Track record of contributing to peer-reviewed publications and maintaining scientific credibility alongside commercial responsibilities.
• Experience with AI/ML applications in drug discovery, precision medicine, or biomedical data science.

SKILLS
Required

• Deep scientific expertise in one or more of IU LAB's priority areas (diabetes/obesity, neuroscience/Alzheimer's, oncology, rare diseases, bone engineering/orthopedics, regenerative medicine, point-of-care diagnostics).
• Fluency in the business of life sciences: deal structuring, contract negotiation, IP licensing, regulatory strategy, and corporate R&D decision-making.
• Ability to translate complex scientific capabilities into structured partnership opportunities.
• Strong financial acumen with ability to build business cases, forecast revenue, and manage budgets.
• Exceptional relationship-building skills with the ability to engage credibly with C-suite executives, principal investigators, venture investors, and government officials.
• Superior communication skills, including the ability to translate complex science into compelling commercial narratives for non-technical audiences.
• Strategic, entrepreneurial mindset with comfort operating in a fast-paced, build-stage environment.

Preferred

• Knowledge of FDA regulatory pathways for therapeutics, devices, and diagnostics.

Working Conditions / Demands
This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and to operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and the campus. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.
Regular travel required across Indiana University campuses (Bloomington, Indianapolis, and regional campuses), as well as to national conferences, partner corporate headquarters, and international destinations as needed.
Work Location
Primary location: Indianapolis, Indiana (16 Tech Innovation District). The role will transition to the new IU LAB facility upon its completion in 2027.
Benefits Overview
For full-time staff employees, Indiana University offers a wide array of benefits including:

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU
• Voluntary supplemental life, long-term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year
• Generous paid time off plans