Initiative Sponsored by the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship
The CENTRE funding is an initiative of the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship at UMBC and
provides funds up to $15,000 for research that leads to potential commercialization of a product or
service. Any UMBC faculty with Primary Investigator (PI) eligibility conducting research in either
technical fields (technical entrepreneurship), or social/behavioral/policy/humanities fields (social
entrepreneurship) is encouraged to apply for funding. Faculty who receive funds through this initiative
are expected to have a commercialization plan to move their research beyond the university, such as
filing for a patent (if applicable), being involved in commercializing the research outcomes, etc. CENTRE funding prepares faculty for TEDCO MII funding (State of Maryland), Catalyst Funds, or possible awards from NEA, NSF, NIH, etc. Interdisciplinary collaborations (e.g. from humanities and technol ogy) with faculty from different UMBC departments are strongly encouraged. Proposals submitted to the CENTRE initiative must contain the sections and content outlined below. In addition, proposals must adhere toprescribed format requirements (proposals that deviate from the formatting will be returned without review):
- Cover Page: (limited to a single page using 11 pt font or larger with 1" margins – valued at 10%of proposal)
1. Name of Primary Investigator, title, department, contact information
2. Proposal Title
3. Amount requested
4. Abstract (limited to 300 words): Should include what the proposed work is about, why it should be funded, potential for commercial or social impact
5. Name and signature of the department’s Chair (separate email from the Chair
supporting the proposal is also fine) - Research Page: Concept Idea (limited to a single page using 11 pt font or larger with 1″ margins – valued at 50% of proposal):
NOTE: The research component should be written in plain language that someone with a
university degree in a different discipline than the proposer’s should be able to understand the
content.
1. Description of the research to be done. Emphasis should be given on the problem, its
importance and the novelty of the proposed solution
2. Existing attempts to solve the problem and why they did not come to fruition
3. Preliminary results (if any) or indications suggesting that the proposed work is viable - Commercialization plan: (limited to a half page using 11 pt font or larger with 1″ margins –
valued at 20% of proposal). A plan to move the research beyond the university.
Commercialization examples include but are not limited to:- Launching a startup
- Filing for a patent
- Involvement with bwtech
- Collaboration with startups
- Funded through TEDCO or UMBC Catalyst
- Involvement with student entrepreneurs,
etc.
- Milestones, timeline, and budget: (limited to a half page using 11 pt font or larger with 1"
margins – valued at 20% of proposal):
1. Milestones with a specific timeline (valued at 5% of proposal)
2. Metrics to measure each milestone (valued at 5% of proposal)
3. Budget costs with justification for each item. Funds can be used towards student
stipend, tuition (graduate and/or undergraduate), equipment, etc. (valued at 10% of
proposal)
Award amount:
Proposers may request up to a maximum of $15,000 for a period of one academic year. Awardees commit to be involved with entrepreneurship efforts at UMBC throughout the duration of their grant. This includes:
- Attendance of Speaker Series events (at least one event per semester)
- Attendance at the Idea Competition (one evening in Fall semester)
- Attendance at the Business Plan Competition (one evening in Spring semester)
- Participate in a pitch practice (event up to 2-hours)
Important Dates
- Submission due date: Annually on April 1. Email proposals to Vivian Armor, Program Manager (armor@umbc.edu) and George Karabatis (georgek@umbc.edu)
- Proposal reviews: The submitted proposals are reviewed by early Summer
- Announcement of Award(s): June 1
- Start date: Beginning of Fall semester
- End date: End of Spring semester (start-date and end-date must be in the same academic year)
Evaluating Committee
- ENTR Faculty Fellows
- Director of the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship
- Program Manager of the Alex. Brown Center
- Entrepreneurs in Residence
- Director of ENTR Minor
- Director of Office of Technology Development
Distribution of Funds and mid-year review
1. The funds are transferred at the beginning of the Fall semester following submission of the
proposal. They are to be used during the same academic year (Fall and Spring)
2. At around the mid-point of the effort there will be a review showcasing successful completion of
the milestones up to that point and ensuring progress towards commercialization.
Questions?
Feel free to contact George Karabatis (georgek@umbc.edu)