NanoTRIZ Innovation Institute — Fellowship Program
Effective date: 15 January 2026
Entity: NanoTRIZ Innovation Institute (Australia) — ABN: [60 349 600 938]

Contact: founder@nanotriz.com

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0. Acceptance and Purpose

By applying for, accepting, or participating in any NanoTRIZ Fellowship appointment or collaboration, you confirm that you have read and agree to these Terms of Appointment and Role Definitions (“Terms”). NanoTRIZ may update these Terms from time to time. Updated Terms apply prospectively from the effective date shown on the website.

These Terms clarify: (i) status and scope, (ii) roles and titles, (iii) fees and platform access, (iv) IP boundaries, and (v) how affiliation may be stated publicly.

 

1. Status and Scope

NanoTRIZ Innovation Institute is an independent, Australian-registered entity (ABN: [Insert ABN]). ASIC registration applies where relevant.

 

1.1 Non-Accredited Status (TEQSA / AQF)

• NanoTRIZ is not a TEQSA-registered higher education provider.

• NanoTRIZ does not award AQF degrees, accredited higher-education qualifications, or university credit.

 

1.2 Program Definition

The NanoTRIZ Fellowship is a structured, deliverables-driven program for collaborative research and innovation projects delivered through a distributed, international community.

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1.3 Nature of NanoTRIZ Appointments

NanoTRIZ appointments are internal project roles and do not represent accredited academic positions, employment positions, or university appointments.

Academic descriptors (e.g., Undergraduate, Doctoral) are used only to indicate typical participant background and expected autonomy. They do not imply enrolment, accredited supervision, academic credit, degree candidacy, or university status within NanoTRIZ.

 

1.4 No Curriculum-Based Teaching / Assessment

NanoTRIZ does not provide accredited teaching programs. Participation and Platform Access do not constitute a curriculum-based course, graded assessment, or credentialed instruction.

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2. Classification of Roles

Participants are appointed into tiers based on experience, skills, research maturity, and expected autonomy.

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A) Academic Research Stream (Standard Hierarchy)

 

Level 1: Research Intern
Eligibility: Senior high school students (or equivalent).
Focus: Introduction to TRIZ and AI-assisted research workflows; assisting with basic data collection, curation, and formatting.

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Level 2: Undergraduate Research Scholar
Eligibility: Current Bachelor’s students.
Focus: Literature reviews and initial patent landscaping using the AI-Cabinet; defined module-level task ownership.

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Level 3: Graduate Research Fellow
Eligibility: Current Master’s students.
Focus: Advanced synthesis; development of solution maps, risk matrices, and comparative technology frameworks.

 

Level 4: Pre-Doctoral Fellow
Eligibility: Graduates holding a Master’s degree (preparing for PhD).
Focus: Lead authorship on technical white papers; drafting materials for manuscripts and funding proposals.

 

Level 5: Doctoral Fellow
Eligibility: Enrolled PhD candidates.
Focus: Methodology review, quality control, mentoring of Levels 1–2, and ensuring scientific rigor within the project group.

 

Level 6: Senior Research Fellow (Project Leadership)
Eligibility: Postdoctoral researchers or PhD holders.
Focus: Strategic R&D roadmap design; leadership of pilot execution; coordination with external collaborators; ensuring deliverables meet defined standards.

 

Level 7: Principal Investigator / Distinguished Fellow
Eligibility: Professors, senior researchers, or senior industry experts.
Focus: High-level scientific direction; final peer review; methodology approval and final deliverable sign-off (where appointed).

 

Level 8: Research Division Director (Executive Track)
Eligibility: Distinguished Fellows with proven track record.
Role: Head of a thematic Research Division (e.g., Bio-Nano, AI-Theory).
Focus: Autonomy over divisional planning and resourcing strategy, reporting to the Founding Director.

 

B) Specialized Streams (Cross-Level Appointments)

Venture Fellow (Builder Track)
Eligibility: High-capability technical talent (coding, engineering, prototyping), selected regardless of academic degree level.
Focus: Co-development of internal Institute tools and proprietary AI workflows.

Status: Platform Access Fee–exempt (no Platform Access Fee).
Recognition/Compensation: May include authorship and/or commercial participation only under a separate signed commercial agreement. Terms such as equity, revenue share, ownership, or partnership apply only if explicitly granted in writing. Fellowship appointment alone creates no employment, partnership, or ownership.

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Research Group Leader (Project-based)
Criteria: Level 4+ Fellow who leads a functional team of at least three (3) junior contributors and demonstrates consistent delivery.
Role: Leads a defined project stream or work package; coordinates execution and internal review; supports methodological quality. Final scientific sign-off remains with the designated PI/Co-PI/Scientific Lead unless delegated in writing.

 

3. External Collaborators (Non-Fellowship)

 

Visiting Research Affiliate

For: Senior researchers (Postdocs/Professors) maintaining their home institutional affiliation while collaborating on specific outputs.
Status: Peer-to-peer collaboration; no Platform Access Fee.

 

Technical Contributor
For: Specialists (e.g., data visualisation, Python engineering) contributing defined skills to a deliverable.
Status: Contribution-based (authorship, revenue share, or contract), documented per project.

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4. Nature of the Appointment (Core Meaning)

4.1 Merit-Based Selection

Appointment is contingent on review of record (where applicable), technical skills, and execution capability.

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4.2 Non-Employment Status

Unless explicitly stated in a separate written agreement:

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• the NanoTRIZ Fellowship is a non-employment appointment for independent participation in research projects;

• Fellows are not employees;

• Fellows are not entitled to employee benefits (including superannuation, paid leave, or employee entitlements).

 

4.3 Deliverables-Oriented Advancement

Advancement is based on quality and impact of deliverables, not time served.

 

4.4 No Guarantees

NanoTRIZ does not guarantee publication acceptance, funding outcomes, employment outcomes, visa/immigration outcomes, or any specific results.

 

4.5 No Authority to Bind NanoTRIZ

Unless explicitly authorised in writing, Fellows and collaborators may not represent that they can sign contracts, make commitments, or act as agents on behalf of NanoTRIZ.

 

5. Infrastructure and Platform Access

5.1 Platform Access Fee

To support compute resources, proprietary AI tools (“AI-Cabinet”), and administration, a monthly Platform Access Fee applies to Research Stream participants (Levels 1–5). The current fee and billing details are listed on the pricing page.

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5.2 Exemptions

Venture Fellows, Sponsored Industry Fellows, and Visiting Research Affiliates are exempt.

 

5.3 Purpose and Non-Tuition Clarification

The Platform Access Fee is a cost-recovery contribution for digital infrastructure (analogous to a lab bench fee). It is not tuition and does not represent payment for a degree or accredited program.

 

5.4 No Curriculum / No Assessment

The Platform Access Fee does not purchase structured instruction, graded assessment, or curriculum-based teaching.

 

5.5 Bench Fee Analogy (Context)

In physical institutes, visiting scientists may pay a bench fee to cover lab costs. As a Digital Institute, the “bench” is the AI-Cabinet and computing environment.

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6. Transition to Commercial Projects (Industry & Venture)

Fellows who demonstrate exceptional performance may be invited to commercial R&D or venture studio projects.

Typical roles: Venture Lead, Technical Co-Founder, Industry Liaison.
Compensation: Project-funded and governed by a separate signed commercial agreement; milestone-based.
Confidentiality/IP: Commercial projects operate under project-specific NDAs and IP assignment provisions.

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7. Official Verification

NanoTRIZ may provide documentation confirming participation:

• Certificate of Appointment (title, dates, selection basis)

• Contribution Letter / Reference (contributions and deliverables)

• Title Verification (internal appointment title for CV/LinkedIn)

 

NanoTRIZ titles are internal functional designations and do not confer academic rank, employment status, or equivalence to university appointments or TEQSA-regulated roles.

 

8. Key Definitions for External Use (LinkedIn/CV)

8.1 Standard Bio Format (Recommended)

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“[Role Title], NanoTRIZ Innovation Institute (Australia) — Internal merit-based appointment to a distributed R&D team. Responsible for [specific deliverable] within a systematic innovation workflow. Collaborated on [industry/science area] projects using proprietary AI research infrastructure.”

 

8.2 Primary vs Secondary Affiliation

If you have a primary university/employer affiliation, NanoTRIZ should typically be listed as secondary/affiliate unless your primary appointment has ended.

 

9. Additional Clauses

A) Proof of status (Level 2+)
Undergraduate Research Scholar requires evidence of current Bachelor’s enrolment. Applicants not yet enrolled may be appointed as Research Intern or Incoming Undergraduate Research Scholar (Provisional).

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B) No conflict / external commitments
Fellows must ensure participation complies with policies of their school/university/employer. Fellows must disclose restrictions affecting IP, confidentiality, time commitments, or external commercial engagements. NanoTRIZ does not require exclusivity and will accommodate reasonable institutional obligations.

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C) IP boundary clause
NanoTRIZ claims no ownership over a Fellow’s pre-existing IP (“Background IP”). IP created under a commercial project is governed by a separate agreement. Fellows must not use or disclose confidential information or third-party IP without written permission.

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D) Marketing / non-accreditation clarity
No statement should imply degree equivalence, TEQSA accreditation, or accredited awards.

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E) Under-18 participants
Participants under 18 require parent/guardian consent and may be restricted from commercial projects and confidential activities.

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10. How You Must NOT State Affiliation (Prohibited)

Any wording below is prohibited because it can falsely imply employment, university enrolment, or an accredited academic rank.

 

A) Do NOT imply employment
“Employee at NanoTRIZ” / “Full-time Staff at NanoTRIZ” / “Research Scientist (Full-time), NanoTRIZ” / “Staff Researcher”
“Director / Manager at NanoTRIZ” (unless formally appointed and genuine governance role)

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B) Do NOT imply university faculty rank
“Professor at NanoTRIZ” / “Assistant Professor, NanoTRIZ” / “Faculty Member” / “Lecturer at NanoTRIZ”

 

C) Do NOT imply enrolment/student status at NanoTRIZ
“Student at NanoTRIZ” / “Enrolled at NanoTRIZ” / “PhD Candidate at NanoTRIZ”

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D) Do NOT imply accredited education/degrees
“NanoTRIZ University” / “NanoTRIZ Graduate School” / “Accredited degree provider” / any AQF/TEQSA implication

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E) Do NOT claim exclusive affiliation when you have a primary employer/university
Listing NanoTRIZ as sole affiliation when you should list your primary institution first.

Enforcement: NanoTRIZ may require immediate correction. Repeated violations may result in suspension or termination of the appointment.

 

11. Governing Law and Severability

These Terms are governed by the laws of [Queensland / Australia]. If any provision is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in effect.

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12. Contact / Notices

Questions and notices related to these Terms should be sent to: founder@nanotriz.com