The Entrepreneurship Fellowship Program

Empower Your STEM Journey with Entrepreneurial Expertise

 

Deadline to Apply: August 24th, 2024. Applications will be accepted until August 30th, 2024, but preference will be given to earlier submissions. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

 

Overview of Opportunity:

The Entrepreneurship Fellowship Program offers a transformative experience for STEM graduate students. This program is designed to train and empower students with leadership and entrepreneurial skills through a series of carefully designated courses, programs, and activities.

As an Entrepreneurship Fellow, you will navigate through educational and experiential modules to learn, practice, and refine your entrepreneurial skills. These competencies will not only complement your STEM discipline but also enhance your career prospects across various STEM fields.

 

What We Offer:

  • Innovative Curriculum: A series of educational and experiential courses to develop entrepreneurial acumen.
  • Hands-on Experience: Opportunities to apply learning through competitions, internships, and practical projects.
  • Community and Networking: Engage with mentors, peers, and attend conferences and pitch competitions in a supportive environment.
  • Funding and Opportunities: Access financial support and resources to advance your entrepreneurial journey.

 

Program Requirements:

If selected, you will be required to participate in the Entrepreneurship Fellowship program for a full academic year. The Entrepreneurship Fellowship program includes three modules consisting of curricular and extracurricular activities.

  • Module 1 (Fall): Foundations of Entrepreneurship
    • Introductory Course
      • ENGR 5510: Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship I; Instructor(s): Dr. Leila Daneshmandi, Sam Nanayakkara
    • University-wide Pitch Competition (e.g., Get Seeded)
    • Module 2 (Spring): Advanced Entrepreneurial Practice
      • Choose one course from the following:
        • Option 1: ENGR 5300: Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship II; Instructor(s): Dr. Leila Daneshmandi, Sam Nanayakkara
        • Option 2: CSE 5095 - Special Topics in Computer Science and Engineering: Entrepreneurship Research; Instructor: Dr. Shiri Dori-Hacohen
      • Customer Discovery Program (e.g., Accelerate UConn, Traction)
      • University-wide Pitch Competition (e.g., Get Seeded, Innovation Quest) or external Pitch Competition
      • Module 3 (Summer): Internship
        • Choose an experiential hands-on summer internship from the following:
          • Summer Fellowship
          • Hillside Ventures Internship
          • TIP Innovation Internship
          • TCS Internship
      • Additional Requirements:
        • Attend 3 meetings with the research team
        • Attend 6 socialization meetings with other entrepreneurship fellows of your cohort

       

      Eligibility:

      The program is open to any UConn doctoral or master's student in a STEM field. No prior experience in entrepreneurship is required—you will receive comprehensive training as part of the program. To apply, you need:

      • A current CV.
      • An academic transcript.

       

      Apply now to the Entrepreneurship Fellowship Program and gain the skills, experience, and support needed to excel in your STEM career.

      Apply Now

      Program Support:

      This program is supported by a 3-year project, titled "Creating Bold STEM Leaders Through Graduate Entrepreneurial Training," grant #2325444 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) program.

      The Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) program is focused on research in graduate education. The goals of IGE are to pilot, test and validate innovative approaches to graduate education and to generate the knowledge required to move these approaches into the broader community.