The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is among 15 universities across the country to receive a $50,000 planning grant from the Kansas City-based Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to take part in the Foundation's Kauffman Campuses Initiative, a new program aimed at making entrepreneurship education a common and accessible campus-wide opportunity.

The new Kauffman program builds on the emerging trend among colleges and universities to expand entrepreneurship education beyond business schools so that entrepreneurship training and experiences are available across departments and to students in diverse disciplines.

"At UMBC, we are firm believers in the potential of entrepreneurship education," said UMBC president Freeman A. Hrabowski, III. "The Kauffman Campuses Initiative is a perfect fit with UMBC's emphasis on giving our students across all academic disciplines access to entrepreneurship courses and programs. We look forward to presenting our ideas in December for the next stage of the Initiative."

UMBC will use the $50,000 planning grant to help fund development of a proposal to be presented in December for the next stage of the Kauffman Campuses Initiative. The Foundation will award five to seven challenge grants of up to $5 million by year's end to universities that best demonstrate their abilities to make entrepreneurship a common and accessible experience for all students; infuse entrepreneurship into the campus culture; adopt a unique, innovative and potentially break-away approach; provide the support of top university leadership; and position themselves to serve as a model for other colleges and universities.

UMBC's previous efforts to expand student and faculty entrepreneurship have earned the support of prominent Baltimore business leaders. Mayo Shattuck, III, President and CEO of Constellation Energy Group, is chair of UMBC's Alex. Brown Center for Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Advisory Board.

"I'm delighted to see UMBC recognized by the Kauffman Foundation for its innovative entrepreneurship programs," said Shattuck. "I look forward to taking part in developing programs and curricula that will help UMBC continue to emerge as a national leader in entrepreneurship education."

UMBC established the Alex. Brown Center for Science and Technology Entrepreneurship in 2000 through a million-dollar gift from The Alex. Brown Foundation. Since its inception, UMBC has worked closely with the Baltimore business community towards the vision of creating one of the leading university centers for science and technology entrepreneurism.