President’s Entrepreneurial Fellowship
President’s Entrepreneurial Fellowship Applications
Gain hands-on experience working to commercialize UMB health science discoveries. The application window is currently closed for the 2023-24 cohort. Applications are accepted each September through early October.
Technical.ly Baltimore
This University of Maryland program brings students inside health startups
Through UM Ventures' Presidential Entrepreneurial Fellowship program, students from different schools at the university help startups move technology forward.
UMB President's Entrepreneurial Fellowship
The President’s Entrepreneurial Fellowship (PEF) is an exclusive opportunity for students to obtain hands-on training and experience advancing real-world, early-stage business ventures based on discoveries made by UMB faculty.
The interdisciplinary teams engage in a variety of projects to evaluate specific UMB technologies; identify market opportunities, funding sources, and strategic partners; or develop business, legal, and regulatory strategies.
Examples of projects from previous years include:
- Design of a clinical trial of a novel drug for cancer treatment
- Identification of organizations (contract research organizations and contract development and manufacturing organizations) for drug manufacturing and pre-investigational new drug (IND) studies
- Market and intellectual property analyses of the landscape of CAR-NK cells for tumor malignancies
- Investigation of investment opportunities and marketing strategies for a medical device with a niche market
- Use of a combination of wet lab experiments and a machine learning approach for drug repurposing
Program Summary
One of UMB’s top priorities is commercializing innovative technologies discovered by UMB faculty to improve healthcare around the world and create jobs in Maryland. Each year for the past five years, UMB has executed around 40 licenses with company partners for development of UMB technologies, including around eight licenses to new start-up companies.
The Fellowship is a paid, part-time, and remote opportunity for students from one of UMB’s schools and the Robert H. Smith School of Business. In addition to experience, Fellows develop a strong network with each another and the advisors. The PEF began in 2015 and has trained over 50 Fellows to-date; many alumni have gone on to pursue exciting careers in science, technology, business, healthcare, and law.
The PEF is managed by the UM Ventures, Baltimore team, which is part of the UMB Office of Research and Development. Fellows will be trained by UM Ventures staff, UMB entrepreneurial faculty, and private-sector entrepreneurs. They will gain exposure to intellectual property, marketing, management, and licensing research. Fellows will apply the skills they acquire to specific projects that will help commercialize UMB-owned inventions.
Program Dates
- September through early October: Applications are accepted
- November 1: Fellowship commences
- Fellowship Duration: 20 weeks excluding holiday break
Eligibility and Requirements
The 2023-2024 Fellowship is a virtual program and with a final in-person event during the first week of May 2024.
- Applicants must be enrolled in a degree program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore or the Smith School of Business for the duration of the Fellowship. Application from PhD students and resubmission from previous applicants is highly encouraged. Postdocs are not eligible.
- Candidates are expected to commit up to 6 hours per week. The schedule is flexible to accommodate course work and other responsibilities. Assignments can be completed in their own time.
- Approximately 20% of the time will be devoted to training and mentoring. The balance of the time will be devoted to working on specific technologies.
- Fellows receive a $5,000 award.
Questions can be submitted to [email protected].