1. Status and Scope
 
NanoTRIZ Innovation Institute is an independent, Australian-registered entity (ABN [Insert Number]; ASIC registration applies where relevant).

• Non-Accredited Status: NanoTRIZ is not a TEQSA-registered higher education provider and does not award AQF degrees or accredited higher-education qualifications.

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

2. Classification of Roles
 
Participants are appointed into tiers based on academic standing, research experience, and expected autonomy.
 
A. The 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.
     

• Level 2: Undergraduate Research Scholar

  • Eligibility: Current Bachelor’s students.

  • Focus: Module-level task ownership; executing literature reviews and initial patent landscaping using the AI-Cabinet.
     

• 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 academic manuscripts and funding proposals.
     

• Level 5: Doctoral Fellow

  • Eligibility: Enrolled PhD candidates.

  • Focus: Methodological oversight; mentoring Level 1–2 participants and ensuring scientific rigor within the project group.
     

• Level 6: Senior Research Fellow (Project Lead)

  • Eligibility: Postdoctoral researchers or PhD holders.

  • Focus: Strategic R&D roadmap design; supervision of pilot-project execution; coordination with external collaborators.
     

• Level 7: Principal Investigator / Distinguished Fellow

  • Eligibility: Professors, senior researchers, or senior industry experts.

  • Focus: High-level strategic direction; final peer review; validation of standards.
     

• Level 8: Research Division Director (Executive Track)

  • Eligibility: Distinguished Fellows with a proven track record.

  • Role: Head of a thematic Research Division (e.g., Bio-Nano, AI-Theory).

  • Focus: Division Directors have autonomy over divisional planning and resourcing strategy, reporting to the Founding Director.
     

B. Specialized Streams (Cross-Level Appointments)
 

• Venture Fellow (The 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: Tuition-Exempt. Work is compensated via "Sweat Equity" or Co-Authorship.
     

• Research Group Leader

  • Criteria: A Fellow (Level 4+) who establishes a functional team of at least three (3) juniors and demonstrates consistent delivery.

  • Privileges: Greater autonomy over project selection; listed as supervising scientist on outputs.
     

3. External Collaborators (Non-Fellowship)
 

• Visiting Research Affiliate:

  • For senior researchers (Postdocs/Professors) maintaining their home institutional affiliation while collaborating on specific papers.

  • Status: Peer-to-peer collaboration. No fees apply.

• Technical Contributor:

  • For specialists (e.g., Data Viz, Python) contributing specific skills to a single deliverable.

  • Status: Contribution-based (authorship or revenue share).
     

4. Nature of the Appointment
 

• Merit-based selection: Appointment is contingent on review of academic record, technical skills, and execution capability.

• Non-employment status: Unless explicitly stated in a separate written agreement, the NanoTRIZ Fellowship is a non-employment appointment for independent participation in research projects. Fellows are not employees and are not entitled to employee benefits (superannuation, leave, etc.).

• Deliverables-oriented advancement: Advancement is based on the quality and impact of deliverables (e.g., solution maps, validated frameworks), not just time served.
   

5. Infrastructure and Platform Access
 

• Platform Access Fee: To support compute resources, proprietary AI tools (the “AI-Cabinet”), and program administration, a monthly Platform Access Fee applies to Research Stream participants (Levels 1–5).

• Exemptions: Venture Fellows, Sponsored Industry Fellows, and Visiting Affiliates are exempt from this fee.

• Purpose: This 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.

 
Context: In physical science institutes, visiting scientists often pay a "Bench Fee" to cover electricity, chemicals, and microscope access. As a Digital Institute, our "Bench" is the AI-Cabinet and Computing Environment. The Platform Access Fee is the professional equivalent of a Bench Fee.

6. Transition to Commercial Projects (Industry & Venture)

Fellows who demonstrate exceptional performance may be invited to participate in commercial R&D or Venture Studio projects.

• Typical Roles: Venture Lead, Technical Co-Founder, Industry Liaison.

• Compensation: Commercial roles are project-funded and governed by a separate commercial agreement. Compensation is tied to defined milestones (e.g., securing a Letter of Intent, completing a pilot).

• Confidentiality: Commercial projects operate under specific NDAs and IP assignment provisions defined in project-specific agreements.
   

7. Official Verification

As an Australian-registered entity, NanoTRIZ provides official documentation confirming participation:

• Certificate of Appointment: Stating role title, dates, and selection basis.

• Contribution Letter / Reference: Describing technical contributions and deliverables.

• Title Verification: Confirming the internal NanoTRIZ appointment title for use on LinkedIn/CVs.
   

(Note: NanoTRIZ appointment titles are internal role designations and are not university academic ranks or TEQSA-regulated appointments.)
Key Definitions for External Use (LinkedIn/CV)

Standard Bio Format:
 "[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."


A) Proof of status (for Level 2+)
Eligibility for Undergraduate Research Scholar requires evidence of current enrolment in a Bachelor’s program (e.g., enrolment certificate or student ID). Applicants holding an offer/acceptance but not yet enrolled may be appointed as Research Intern or Incoming Undergraduate Research Scholar (Provisional) until enrolment is confirmed.

B) No conflict / external commitments clause
Fellows are responsible for ensuring their participation complies with the policies of their school/university/employer. Fellows must disclose any restrictions that could affect IP ownership, confidentiality, time commitments, or external commercial engagements. NanoTRIZ does not require exclusivity and will accommodate reasonable institutional obligations.

C) IP boundary clause 
NanoTRIZ claims no ownership over a Fellow’s pre-existing IP (“Background IP”). IP created specifically under an Industry/Commercial project is governed by a separate agreement (NDA/IP assignment). Fellows must not use or disclose any confidential information or third-party IP (including university or employer materials) without written permission.

D) Marketing / non-accreditation clarity (avoiding “tuition waiver” confusion)
NanoTRIZ is not a TEQSA-registered higher education provider and does not award accredited degrees or higher education qualifications. Any fees are for platform/infrastructure access and administration only. No statements should imply degree equivalence or accredited awards.