UC Irvine (UCI) Beall Applied Innovation offers several programs that support innovation and entrepreneurship for members of the UCI community. One such program, made specifically for graduate students, is the Graduate Innovation Fellowship program.
Created in collaboration with UCI Graduate Division, the program exposes UCI graduate students, Ph.D. students and postdocs from all academic units to Applied Innovation’s resources and programs and offers tailored opportunities related to innovation, entrepreneurship and the translation and commercialization of research at the university.
It also provides cocurricular experiences that are difficult to find in an academic setting for graduate students and postdocs interested in innovation and entrepreneurship, according to Applied Innovation’s Cross Campus Collaborations Manager Chloe Hsieh.
“This fellowship is unique in that it is open to all graduate students across campus,” said Hsieh. “Through our collaboration with UCI Graduate Division, the fellowship provides different opportunities that are available within Applied Innovation that these individuals can participate in. We wanted to provide opportunities for them to engage with and learn about Applied Innovation by participating in our entrepreneurship opportunities.”
In the yearlong program, Graduate Innovation Fellows receive a $5,000 stipend and will have access to special events and networking opportunities as well as real-world experiences in innovation and entrepreneurship. Fellows participate in specialized engagement tracks such as conducting market research for UCI intellectual properties, mentoring student entrepreneurs and members of the Wayfinder program, and developing new entrepreneurship programs for graduate students.
Nora Bradford, a cognitive science Ph.D. student from the School of Social Sciences and one of the six Graduate Innovation Fellows from the program’s first cohort, has been working with Applied Innovation’s Marketing and Communications team to assist with website analytics among other marketing science tasks.
“Even though my time as a Graduate Innovation Fellow has just begun, I’ve already learned so much about the ways Applied Innovation supports faculty, student and industry researchers in their quests to make their science accessible for the general public,” said Bradford. “I really appreciate the opportunity to learn more about connecting academia and industry through the program.”
Upon the conclusion of their term, fellows will receive a certificate of completion and have a broader understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship to utilize in their own careers or share as ambassadors for Applied Innovation.
Learn more about the Graduate Innovation Fellowship program and other growth opportunities.
Photos: Julie Kennedy