The Office of the Provost will launch its Innovation Student Fellowship program in November, giving UO students the opportunity to learn how networking, resources and culture shape the overall health of a complex network of businesses.

The seven-month program will give UO students a wider view of entrepreneurship on campus and promote the development of entrepreneurial skills through the creation of student-led projects. The application deadline is Nov. 16.

The program, which includes a $1,500 stipend, is part of the Innovation Initiative created by Provost and Senior Vice President Patrick Phillips and will be run by the Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship.

“Ecosystem-building plays a critical role in fostering entrepreneurial growth and community development,” said Andrew Nelson, associate vice president for entrepreneurship and innovation and the Randall C. Papé Chair in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. “The provost’s Innovation Student Fellowship program offers the opportunity to expose students to how (business) ecosystems work, introduce them to UO’s entrepreneurial resources and networks, and challenge them to use their own creativity to advance our campus entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Students will have the opportunity to attend bimonthly, virtual meetings to learn from UO faculty members, senior leaders, alumni and community members who have experience as entrepreneurs. The meetings will introduce students to areas such as commercialization and faculty spinouts, the Knight Campus, available student resources and how the UO fits within the wider community and regional entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Students will come away from the program with a strong understanding of entrepreneurship and be able to direct their peers on how to access resources.

To increase student engagement around entrepreneurship and innovation, students will create projects in response to what they learn. Participants will develop their own initiatives over the program year and present their findings during the annual UO Entrepreneurship Awards ceremony held in June 2021.

Students of all majors, including both undergraduate and graduate students, are encouraged to apply.

Visit the Innovation Initiative website for more details. Questions about the program can be directed to Kate Harmon, director of Cross-Campus Engagement for the Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship at kharmon2@uoregon.edu

—By Caitlin Howard, University Communications