Pulse: A Health Innovation Network

Pulse supports young innovators trying to solve urgent and important problems faced by our province.

Pulse is building healthier communities across Nova Scotia by advancing health innovation through experiential learning opportunities across our local communities. Pulse helps build innovator competencies and supports new business ideas by offering educational, experiential, and advisory opportunities and services in the aging, biotech, medtech, therapeutic, and social health innovation sectors.As part of the provincial sandbox network formed by the Department of Advanced Education, Pulse is headquartered at Dalhousie and embedded within the Faculties of Dentistry, Health, and Medicine, but helps innovators around Nova Scotia.

Community

Pulse nurtures young innovators from diverse backgrounds to become empathetic leaders who reflect our local communities.

Innovation

Pulse empowers young innovators to bridge health system gaps through ground-breaking solutions and initiatives.

Collaboration

Pulse enhances Nova Scotia's reputation as a health innovation hub and attracts diverse talents for a healthier province.

For Students

Career Opportunities

Through our partnership with Dalhousie and Advanced Education, Pulse has deep insight into new and emerging fields where young professionals could be future leaders.If you're interested in where a career in health innovation could take you, check out our career map to explore local opportunities.

For Innovators

Programs and Events

Pulse creates new opportunities for students to exercise their creative problem solving abilities. Pulse hosts hackathons, challenges, case competitions, and courses.Check out our instagram to find new events and programs. Reach out if you have an idea for a hackathon or are interested in attending one of our programs.

For Entrepreneurs

Startup Support

Pulse supports students solving big problems, creating new ideas, trying to talk to customers, building prototypes, or looking for funding. While here, check out video resources for starting a business.Reach out if you want to chat about the tailored resources Pulse can offer, even if you haven't fully formed your idea yet.

Reach Out

Get in touch.

Want something a little more personal? Have questions about what we do? We're happy to have a chat and explore opportunities together. Email us directly!

© Pulse. All rights reserved.

Have an idea?

We're here to help!

Whether you're a student, a researcher, a faculty member, or a working professional; we would love to hear what you're working on! We pride ourselves in viewing our support as an ongoing relationship so it's important for us to stay engaged throughout your entire journey.Take two seconds and fill out the form below so we can know a little more about you and the project you're working on and we'll be in touch!

Career Map

Where is your future?

Through our partnership with Dalhousie and Advanced Education, Pulse has deep insight into new and emerging fields where young professionals could be future leaders. If you're interested in where a career in health innovation could take you, check out our career map to explore local opportunities.We're always happy to have a chat and explore future opportunities together.

Want to start a business?

Find the best resources!

YC (Y Combinator) is the best technology startup accelerator today. It has helped launch more than 4,000 companies, including Airbnb, Coinbase, DoorDash, Dropbox, Instacart, Quora, Reddit, Stripe, and Twitch. YC developed Startup School as a free online course on how to start a startup. The videos below are quick and consumable content that gives you an amazing foundation on what entrepreneurship is and how you can make your idea a reality.

Fall Term | $500 Honorarium

HealthTech Innovation Challenge

This hands-on challenge will take students through the rapidly growing landscape of HealthTech, emphasizing the transformative potential of new technologies in health such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), mobile and wearable devices, and data analytics. The program is designed to equip students with the necessary skills to explore, develop, validate, and implement innovative health solutions powered by technology. This challenge is perfect for future leaders of the HealthTech sector who want to be empowered to bridge the gap between healthcare and technology in the ever evolving digital health paradigm.

The program spans the fall 2023 term, hosted in person on Tuesdays from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and Thursdays from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Dalhousie Carleton campus.Space is limited, so we ask that you fill out the application below to apply to the program.

Fall Term | $500 Honorarium

HealthTech Innovation Challenge

Congratulations! You have been accepted to HealthTech Innovation Challenge. This form is an agreement, to be signed by each participant describing the expectations and benefits of the challenge. We look forward to working with you throughout the fall semester!Goals
The Healthy Aging Innovation Challenge is a hands-on learning opportunity for students to build their leadership skills, explore customer discovery, and build competencies in communication, collaboration, creativity and problem-solving, while learning about the basics of health innovation. Participants will work in interdisciplinary teams to develop creative and innovative solutions to health challenges.
Expectations
1) Participants are expected to attend the twice weekly sessions. These sessions occur every Tuesday from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. and Thursday, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00PM from September 5th to December 5th. There will be no sessions during the study break (November 13th to 17th)
2) If a session needs to be missed for any reason (e.g., illness), written notice must be given to Pulse as soon as possible. Participants can only miss a maximum of two sessions.3) Provide feedback in a constructive manner while remaining open minded. All participants are encouraged to read the 15 principles of mentorship in advance of the course.4) Participants that do not meet the expectations outlined above will be informed in writing and a remediation plan will be developed. In such cases, the honorarium may not be awarded unless and until Pulse management is satisfied that the participant is meeting the requirements. Participants that fail to follow the above expectations, and/or do not follow the instructions as provided by Pulse will be dismissed from the program without payment.Benefits
For your contributions and in-person participation over the fall term you will be eligible for a honorarium of $500 and Dalhousie students are eligible for a Health Innovation transcript notation.
HealthTech Innovation Challenge Agreement
By signing the form below, you agree to the above terms and conditions of the HealthTech Innovation Challenge, as outlined in this form, and will fulfill your commitments mentioned above in a timely manner over the course of the semester running from September 2023 to December 2023. You understand that your participation in the HealthTech Innovation Challenge, and the honorarium, may be terminated at any time by written notice from Pulse.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact seb@dal.ca

Pitch your idea for a chance to win $1,000

Doorbell Pitch Challenge

We need your help to solve urgent and important health problems faced by our province. This doorbell crowdsources health solutions while educating and engaging our local communities. Simply ring the doorbell and pitch a solution to any one of the challenge statements shown below for a chance to win $1,000.

Important Tips

  • Describe the challenge statement you want to solve, your solution, and the impact it could make.

  • Include your name and number at the end so we can text you if you win! Your personal information will not be shared with the public.

  • Practice your pitch to make sure you can do it in less than 60 seconds!

See the FAQ here for further information.

Pitch your idea for a chance to win $1,000

Doorbell Pitch Challenge

FAQ

  • How long do I have to pitch? You have 60 seconds from the time you ring the doorbell.

  • How are the winners chosen? Winning pitches are chosen by judges from the faculties of Dentistry, Health, and Medicine.

  • If I mess up can I try again? Yes! Pitch as many times as you want, we'll find the best one.

  • How will I know if I won? You'll be contacted via text. If your pitch is publicly shared, your phone number will be be edited out.

  • Will these pitches be shared? Yes, all videos will be shared for judging purposes, but only some pitches will be shared publicly.

  • Does this camera record all the time? No, it only records when you ring the doorbell.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact seb@dal.ca