Startups can hire graduate researchers straight from academic labs and boost credibility by partnering with universities. When collaborating on SBIR or STTR grants, academic researchers typically become subcontractors if they actively contribute to the proposal and R&D strategy.
I know many startups have hired graduate research students directly from their collaborative lab after their training was completed. And finally, partnering with a reputable academic institution can also give startups with credibility to attract further investments and partnerships. Now, if you do decide to partner with an academic researcher to pursue one of these SBIR or STTR grants, likely they'll be added on as a subcontractor, especially if they'll be actively involved in the proposal efforts and contributing intellectually to the R&D strategy.
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