Faculty Entrepreneurial Fellows at Illinois

Tech Transfer Central (March) -- Proof-of-concept funding is great, but what if faculty innovators also have the gift of time to prove out the viability of their discoveries, the guidance of successful entrepreneurs, and the ability to take students along on the ride? This is the thinking behind the new Faculty Entrepreneurial Fellows program in the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Jed Taylor, the director of operations of the Technology Entrepreneur Center at Illinois. "What we do is give [faculty innovators] some proof-of-concept funding, a release from teaching and other obligations for 12 months, and we give them space on campus,” explains Taylor. "And then we put some curriculum and coursework around it as well, so students are involved in the process and it is really an educational experience.”