Read the press release here.
University of Rhode Island, $20,700
Wearable Internet of Things
This grant will support the development of a course focused on having teams of engineering students develop affordable wearable devices with healthcare applications. Teams of undergraduate and graduate students participate in competitions and be encouraged to found startups.
The City College of New York, $23,500
Entrepreneurship in Renewable Energy Systems Design and Control
This grant will support a new course in Renewable Energy Systems Design and Control that willl bring together computer science, engineering and business students to develop, test, and commercialize innovative ideas related to renewable energy, including plug-in electric vehicle-based microgrid power systems. The course will focus on four major components: 1) technical aspects of these devices; 2) exploration of commercialization opportunities for these devices; 3) the introduction and cultivation of an entrepreneurial mindset; and 4) research and assessment of the relative amount of innovation in an entrepreneurial environment as compared to a purely educational one.
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, $27,260
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Capstone Bootcamp
There is currently no existing curricular vehicle at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for students to explore interdisciplinary innovation and entrepreneurship. This grant will seed the first initiative in this area by funding a series of projects during a newly created senior capstone experience. Faculty will integrate Lean Launchpad customer discovery early on and provide students with the opportunity to prototype their innovations.
New York University, $25,500
NYU Healthcare Innovation Challenge
This grant will support a new Healthcare Innovation Challenge at NYU, co-developed by the NYU Entrepreneurial Institute and the NYU School of Medicine. The challenge has four goals: 1) increase the engagement of engineers, developers, business students, and researchers in the issues and opportunities in healthcare; 2) facilitate E-Team formation around multidisciplinary groups; 3) identify and prototype technology solutions to healthcare opportunities; and 4) to provide training, mentorship, and initial financial support to the most promising E-Teams to transform their prototypes into successful commercial ventures.
Tennessee Technological University, $25,000
Idea to Commercially-viable Healthcare Solutions
This grant will support improvement of an existing course at TTU to include a clinical immersion experience for student teams drawn from chemical engineering, business and nursing. Facuty will also develop an E-Team showcase and work to support the most promising teams and technologies beyond the course.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, $32,500
Carolina E(I) Lab
This grant will address a lack of innovation and entrepreneurship education for graduate students. The undergraduate ecosystem is well developed. Grant funds will allow the creation of an eight-month long experiential education program for graduate students. Innovations will be developed during a two-day hackathon, then over the next eight months each team will refine their prototypes and perform early field-testing to transform innovations into commercially viable ventures.
Missouri University of Science and Technology, $33,000
Journey to Innovation and Entrepreneurship
This grant will support the development and delivery of a new campus-wide interdisciplinary minor that consists of five courses focused on experiential entrepreneurship. The objectives demonstrate an ambitious jump from the current single I&E course offering, with new curricula that includes innovation methods, skill development, team dynamics and a team-based Lean LaunchPad class.
University of Oregon, $34,000
Launch in the RAIN
Launch in the RAIN is an opportunity for students to work on a University of Oregon Product Design innovation studio class in the physical space of the RAIN (Regional Accelerator and Innovation Network) in Eugene. The PI will allow students outside of the class to join the team and the two team leaders will be supported within the course. Resulting E-Teams who want to continue work beyond the course will be encouraged to apply to existing programs such as the RAIN accelerator program, VentureWell’s E-Team Program, RAINmaker SEED grants, and/or Oregon’s New Venture Championship Program.
Michigan Technological University, $21,500
Proposal to Enhance the Innovation and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem at Michigan Tech
Michigan Tech has piloted an introductory Lean StartUp course; this grant will enable the school to expand it into a two-course sequence. The second course will allow students to further develop their innovations. In addition, a student Tech Enterprise Team “TechX,” will connect innovators to student-led startups and also provide a speaker series and other connections to the existing entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Northwestern University, $27,750
Master of Science in Law Entrepreneurship Lab
The Master of Science in Law at Northwestern is a new degree program designed to teach STEM-trained students about the legal, business, and regulatory aspects of innovation and entrepreneurship. Grant funds will support a new interdisciplinary course within the Law School that will teach students about moving a life science technology product (medical device or healthcare IT solution) through the innovation lifecycle. Course objectives include: 1) equipping STEM students with the skills to shepherd a project through the innovation process; 2) sharing topics in law and regulation that are often overlooked and which can be obstacles to the innovation process; and 3) creating a minimal viable product or soft proof of concept that can be pursued beyond the course.
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, $35,345
The Graduate Certificate in Innovation
This grant will support the development of a new curriculum that will provide graduate students with the skills they need to engage in the innovation process and transform ideas into impact. There are two goals: 1) to develop a new Graduate Certificate in Innovation for graduate and PhD students that includes hands-on training, allowing them to investigate new ideas; and 2) to develop a new on-campus incubator and co-working space called the E-Zone that will house and support the strongest student teams as they focus on developing their innovations into new startups.
Columbia University, $22,500
Design Thinking Modules that Support Student Entrepreneurs
This grant will the support the development and teaching of several design thinking experiential learning modules that will empower students to be confident in their creativity and entrepreneurial in their pursuits. These for-credit modules will be 2-4 weeks long, meeting twice per week. To support these experiences, Columbia is opening a design studio where teams can develop both technology and customer insights in parallel, even when not enrolled in a module.
Texas Tech University, $18,000
Integrative E-learning course: Bringing together business, engineering, and Autism Spectrum Disorder Students
This grant will support a new project-based course for engineering and business students, in partnership with the Burkhart Center for Autism Education & Research. The course will focus on technology innovations for and by people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Each team will be faculty-mentored in the area of design and business strategy, and the Burkhart Center will provide potential customer data (e.g., children, families) for market research during the technology development and market feedback portions of the course.
Northern Illinois University, $12,500
Developing an I-Lab Accelerator Program at Northern Illinois University
This grant will support a 16-week (I-LAB) program that is designed as a startup accelerator and includes workshops on creativity, social impact, design, engineering, and innovation. Students will work in multidisciplinary E-Teams to develop innovative technologies that solve global social problems. The strongest teams will participate in an impact investor day and be supported beyond the course. Projects will have a focus on basic human needs in low resource settings in the US and abroad.
Ursinus College, $7,845
U-Imagine Center: Planning for IMPACT
This planning grant will support the development of the IMPACT program within the Center for Integrative and Entrepreneurial studies. IMPACT will house innovative curricular programming, including competitions, speaker series, roundtables, and networking events. By the end of the grant, specific courses will be developed that will complement existing I&E resources.