Undergraduate Student Awards

The undergraduate student awards below from the Texas Innovation Center support College of Natural Sciences and Cockrell School of Engineering students wanting to advance an entrepreneurial effort by developing prototypes/products, evaluating go-to-market strategies, de-risking a technology, or launching a startup idea. Whether you are exploring a concept for a venture or have established a startup, we encourage you to apply.

Application materials include:  

  • Budget and Budget Justification (detailing the project expenditures) 
  • Letter of Support 
  • Pitch Deck (10 to 12 slides) 
    • Title Slide
    • Problem/Unmet Need 
    • Solution 
    • Solution Delivery/Product – product and how it works 
    • Market Size (TAM, SAM, SOM) 
    • Competitive Advantage and Matrix 
    • Market/Go-To-Market Strategy – proof that users love your product 
    • Business Model – how you make money 
    • Financials – plan going forward, hires, accomplish, cost of things 
    • Team 
    • The Ask – what will you accomplish with the Innovation Grant 

Awards range in size from $1,000 to $10,000. Please confirm your eligibility before applying. 

Traditionally underrepresented groups, defined by geographic regions, specific community or student organizations and economically disadvantaged families encouraged to apply. 

Cockrell School of Engineering Student Awards 

Bee K. Leong Endowed Scholarship 

  • Open to students with the classification of freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior in the Department of Biomedical Engineering or the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Award of $1,500

Dr. A. Bruce Buckman Endowed Innovation Scholarship 

  • Open to students with the classification of junior and senior in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering who graduated from a Texas high school
  • Award of up to $3,500

John Mark Hughes Endowed Scholarship in Innovation 

  • Open to students with the classification of junior and senior in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering who graduated from a Texas high school
  • Award of up to $2,000

T.J. Chung Family Endowed Scholarship in Innovation for Electrical and Computer Engineering 

  • Open to students with the classification of junior and senior in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering who graduated from a Texas high school 
  • Award of up to $2,000 

Dr. Eric L. Jones Endowed Scholarship in Innovation 

  • Open to students with the classification of junior and senior in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering who graduated from a Texas high school 
  • Award of up to $5,000 

The Marvin & Ellie Selig Entrepreneurship Explorer Award

  • Open to all students with the classification of freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior from all majors in the Cockrell School of Engineering to supporting students pursuing technology commercialization of their original work.
  • This award supports developing prototypes, evaluating go-to-market strategies, and launching and de-risking the entrepreneurial endeavor.
  • Award of up to $10,000

Brian McKee Scholarship in Innovation for Aerospace Engineering

  • Open to students with the classification of freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
  • Award of $5,000

College of Natural Sciences Student Awards 

The CNS Entrepreneurship Award 

  • Open to all students with the classification of freshmen, sophomore,  junior and senior from all majors in the College of Natural Sciences to support their exploration of entrepreneurial projects or working toward commercializing a technology of their original inspiration or from a class project or undergraduate research 
  • Award of up to $5000 
Apply for Undergraduate Student Awards