Call for Applications: UMBC Entrepreneurial Learning Lab (ELL) – Student Cohort

 Apply now for the Spring 2026 cohort!

 Student Application Link: https://forms.gle/vy8EbBRz6PAQHVoU9

Dear UMBC students,

We are excited to invite applications for the Spring 2026 Student Cohort of the Entrepreneurial Learning Lab (ELL)—a unique, hands-on innovation experience that gives students the opportunity to develop entrepreneurial skills, gain internship credit, and work directly with UMBC faculty research to evaluate the potential commercial viability or social impact of their research or technology. 

The ELL is a semester-long, cohort-based program where students learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and innovation, then apply these skills by evaluating the commercialization or social-impact potential of faculty-led research projects. This experience is ideal for students interested in product development, consulting, research, design, entrepreneurship, or innovation in any field. 

Students who complete the program will earn internship credit and a $250 stipend.
There will also be an additional paid opportunity (up to $1,000) upon completion to work on a summer project related to the research development. 

Offered in partnership with the Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (ABCEI) and the Engineering and Computing Education Program (ECEP), ELL helps students build real-world skills that employers and graduate programs highly value.

 What You'll Gain

Throughout the semester, students participate in highly interactive workshops covering eight essential entrepreneurial competencies:

Opportunity recognition, Customer discovery, Market analysis, Problem/solution fit, Product/market fit, Demand validation, Value delivery, Pitching/storytelling 

By the end of the program, students will:

• Develop a professional Lean Canvas

• Work as part of a team to evaluate UMBC research for commercialization or community impact

• Create and deliver a professional pitch deck

• Earn internship credit

• Build résumé-ready project experience

• Strengthen communication, problem-solving, and innovation skills

• Connect with mentors, faculty innovators, and UMBC entrepreneurship leaders

 Eligibility

Open to:

• Undergraduate and graduate students from all majors

• Students committed to attending all workshops and completing project work

• Students seeking hands-on innovation experience or internship credit

No prior entrepreneurship experience is required. 

 Important Notes

• This is an in-person program. Attendance at all workshops is required to receive internship credit.

• Application Deadline: Tuesday, December 17, 2025 at 11:59 PM

• Apply here: https://forms.gle/vy8EbBRz6PAQHVoU9

• Applicants will be notified at the beginning of January.

 Questions

Dr. Jamie Gurganus – jgurganus@umbc.edu
Engineering & Computing Education Program (ECEP) / CIRTL

Kevin Fulmer – kevinf@umbc.edu

Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

• within 2 years of completing your PhD, interested in academia.
• Apply by December 1, 2025. Recommendation forms due December 12, 2025. 
• Decisions announced January 21, 2026.

1. Housing, transportation costs to/from St. Louis, and a Metrolink transit pass;
2. $4,000 stipend for undergraduate students or $4,392 stipend for graduate or health professional students;
3. Financial support for approved professional development activities related to their summer research project (e.g., conference/workshop attendance, publication fees, etc.);
4. A 1-week Bootcamp at the beginning of the training program to develop general research and professional skills and scientific knowledge related to cardiology, hematology, pulmonology, and sleep disorders;
5. Weekly lecture series on topics related to cardiology, hematology, pulmonology, sleep disorders, and other topics in general medical sciences and public health;
6. Real-world research experience at a top-ranked research institution;
7. One-on-one mentorship in a small research project;
8. Opportunities to advance writing and oral presentation skills; and
9. Social and networking opportunities throughout the summer.

• RADIANCE will focus on enhancing participants’ skills so that they understand the challenges and opportunities needed to become successful researchers in heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders.
• Participants are expected to pursue their research training full time (defined as 40 hours per week), attend all program events, and complete all required evaluations and deliverables.
• At the end of the eight-week program, participants will give symposium presentations.
• Participants will engage in group discussions, seminars and lectures on research ethics, scientific writing, clinical trials, and more.

• Individuals must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Individuals must be a full-time undergraduate, graduate, or health professional student actively enrolled in an accredited university or health professional school.
• Individuals must have successfully completed at least one undergraduate year at an accredited university (including baccalaureate schools of nursing) or have successfully completed at least one quarter or semester at an accredited health professional school.

UMBC Center for Social Science Scholarship:
★ Friday 11/7, 12-1:30 pm, Public Policy 438: 
Dealing with unstructured data (text, images), APIs, and API calls to LLMs  RSVP here
★ Wednesday 11/19, 4:30-6 pm, Hybrid, PAHB 216:
CAHSS New Faculty Micro-talks  RSVP here
★ Wednesday 12/3, 12-1 pm, Online:
Translating Research for a Public Audience: Writing for the Public and Talking to the Press RSVP here

UMBC Library:
★  Monday, 11/10, 12-1 pm, Online:
Skills for Graduate Students: Advanced Research Strategies RSVP here
★ Wednesday, 11/12, 12-1 pm, Online:
Exploring the Gadgets & Gizmos In Your AI Toolkit: Dr. Eric Stokan RSVP here
★  Tuesday, 11/18, 4-5 pm, Online:
Skills for Graduate Students: Managing and Organizing Your Research RSVP here

UMBC Faculty Development Center:
★ Monday, 11/10, 12-1 pm, Online:
Teaching Generation 'Why?': Helping Students Find Meaning and Purpose in Your Course  RSVP here
★ Tuesday, 11/11, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, Online:
Generative AI in Teaching II: Applied Skills and Use Cases RSVP here
★ Wednesday, 11/12, 12-1 pm, Online:
Bring Your Best Idea: Infusing Humor & Fun into the Classroom RSVP here
★ Thursday, 11/20, 12-1 pm, Online:
Integrating Community-Engaged and Experiential Learning into Your Course: Fostering Meaningful Learning and Student Success RSVP here
★ Tuesday, 12/2, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, Online:
I'm Not Teaching with Generative AI, But What Do I Still Need to Know? RSVP here

UMBC Career Center:
★  Thursday, 11/6, 12-1 pm, Online:
River Valley Ranch Career Corner
The RAND Summer Associate Program introduces outstanding doctoral students to RAND, an institution that conducts research on a wide range of domestic and international social policy issues and matters of national security.  RSVP here
★ Monday, 11/17, 12-1 pm, Online:
Inside Scoop: Careers in Biomedical and Health Research RSVP here
★ Wednesday, 11/19, 11 am-12 pm, Online:
UMBC Connects: Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory RSVP here

Events from Partners within the University System of Maryland

CARTI @ UMMS 
★  Tuesday, 11/4, 9-10 am, Zoom
Pivoting to Aging Research: Opportunities for Every Discipline RSVP here
★ Thursday, 11/6, 9-10 am, Zoom
Writing and Conducting a Systematic Review RSVP here
★ Tuesday, 11/4 & 11, 1-2 pm, Zoom
Writing Your First NIH R01 Grant Application: 2-Part Seminar Series RSVP here
★ Tuesday, 12/2,  1-2 pm, Zoom
Identifying a Mentoring Team & Developing Mentoring Skills RSVP here
★ Thursday, 12/11, 9-10 am, Zoom
Making the Most of Your Unfunded Grant Application RSVP here
University of Maryland
★  Wednesday, 12/3, 2025, 6:30–7:30 pm, Online:
Behind the Hire: Insights from Matt Majoros, Partner with Workforce Genetics
Matt will discuss the skill sets valued in the life sciences industry, how to reach out to recruiters and hiring managers, best platforms to find open positions, expectations on how fast hiring moves and answer your question. RSVP here

Events from National Partners
CIRTL (the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching & Learning):
Reminder: UMBC is part of the national CIRTL network; you can earn a nationally recognized certificate that demonstrates your commitment to being an effective instructor! Email Dr. Gurganus at jgurganus@umbc.edu for more information. 
★  Wednesday 11/5, 12-2pm, Online:
Shared Voices, Shared Decisions: Sociocracy for Educators and Leaders in Higher Ed RSVP here
★ Monday 11/10, 12-1 pm, Online:
Exploring Teaching Careers at Teaching Intensive Universities with CIRTL Alumni RSVP here
★ Tuesday 11/11, 11 am- 1pm, Online:
Examining and Analyzing Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy in Post-Secondary Contexts RSVP here
★ Thursday, 11/13, 12-1:30 pm, Online:
Overcoming Learned Helplessness: Helping Students to Develop Strong Team Skills Through Emotional Intelligence RSVP here
★ Monday,  11/17, 12-1 pm, Online:
Exploring Academic Careers Beyond the Professoriate with CIRTL Alumni in Centers for Teaching & Learning RSVP here
★ Thursday, 11/20, 2-3:30 pm, Online:
Leveraging Strengths of Neurodiverse Students in the Classroom RSVP here
★ Thursday, 12/11, 1-3 pm, Online: 
Postdoc Teaching Practicum RSVP here

National Postdoctoral Association (NPA):
Reminder: UMBC has an institutional membership allowing you to get your Free NPA Affiliate Membership! Use your your institutional (UMBC) email address and attend events for FREE. 
★ Check here for NPA's calendar of events. 
★2025 NPA Social Sciences & Humanities Postdocs Special Interest Summit 
Friday, November 14, 2025, 1-5 pm, Online  Read More
Through a series of interactive online discussions led by the NPA, the summit seeks to identify barriers – and find paths forward – in the greater postdoctoral community. Sponsorship provides visibility to thousands of active, exiting, and aspiring postdocs.
Member Benefit for NPA Postdoc Members 
Are you deciding on the next step after your postdoc? Need help looking for jobs that excite you and then figuring out how to apply? The NPA is proud to partner with SciPhD and provide a free, permanent license for all NPA members to their online web application tool – Flamingo™. Sign up here. 

★ 2025 NPA SmartSkills Registration: SmartSkills is a free, virtual course for NPA members. Experts teach monthly classes that focus on building skills critical to career and personal success. Postdocs can earn a certificate from the NPA by attending 10 out of the 12 skills classes. Takes place the fourth Tuesday of each month, at 3 p.m. ET.  Register here.

NCFDD (National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity):
Reminder: UMBC has an institutional membership with the NCFDD, an independent professional development, training, and mentoring community dedicated to supporting academics in making successful transitions throughout their careers. Sign up for free and join their email newsletter!
WEBINARS: 
You must log in to register.
★  Thursday, 11/13, 2025 2-3pm 
SKILL #10: How to Manage Stress, Rejection & the Haters in Your Midst RSVP here
★  Friday,  11/14, 2025 1-2pm 
The Weekly Meeting- for planning ahead RSVP here

★ Tuesday, 11/18, 2025 10-11 am 
Virtual Writing Session RSVP here

• Connect with NCFDD members: Join the new NCFDD community to connect with other faculty - whether it's getting help with a challenge you're facing or finding an accountability partner - it's a space to connect with others from Graduate Students through Department Chair. Check the events calendar for more information!

The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe's most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. UMBC provides free access. Sign in today.
Sign up to receive the several different newsletters The Chronicle offers that are all about higher education! They are helpful resources that are released daily and weekly.
★  Check out The Chronicle's virtual events page, including On Demand recordings!

Resources

• Are you mentoring undergraduates? Consider using a mentor-mentee agreement to define expectations and ensure your undergrad stays motivated, understands how best to communicate with you, and succeeds! Here are some resources available!
• UMBC Library Research Guides: check out the new one about Artificial Intelligence (AI) & AI Literacy!

Job Sites in Higher Ed:
Postdoc Opportunities Board
NPA Job Board
The Chronicle Job Page
HigherEd Jobs
By the Office of Graduate Student and Postdoc Development (GSPD) at UMBC. Contact the author Aubrie at azepp1@umbc.edu for questions or suggestions about the newsletter.

View on myUMBC » Repost from GSA.

• Health insurance clarity — plain-language FAQs & who to contact

• Fair, transparent performance reviews — expectations, timelines, feedback

• GA Handbook fixes — workload/hours, leave, grievance steps

• Stipend & payroll transparency — timelines & escalation paths

• Faster communication — monthly GAAC report + weekly myUMBC updates

How to participate

• RSVP on this myUMBC event (so we plan food & seating)

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