Announcing the 2008 Kauffman Innovation Grants

The Alex. Brown Center for Entrepreneurship is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2008 Kauffman Innovation Grants. Made possible by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Innovation Grants provide support for UMBC departments and programs, faculty, and instructional staff introducing entrepreneurial and innovative thinking and skills into the curriculum. The center received 13 proposals and, unfortunately, did not have funding to cover all proposals. This year’s eight awarded grants directly address the initiative’s goal to facilitate entrepreneurial and innovative thinking within UMBC’s diverse curriculum.

Department and Program Innovation Grants

The Music Department earned a $15,000 grant to create and support a Music and Entrepreneurship Fellows program. The program selects ten music majors each year who will create an entrepreneurial project in their area of interest. Examples might include marketing and managing one of UMBC’s performance ensembles or creating a small recording or studio management business. Participants will also be expected to mentor future Music and Entrepreneurship Fellows. PI: Dr. Linda Dusman, Co-PIs: Dr. Lisa Cella, Dr. Anna Rubin.

A collaborative proposal put forward by the Department of Political Science, American Studies, Office of Student Life, Shriver Center, and the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars earned a $10,000 award. The centerpiece of the initiative is a new undergraduate course, “Civic Imagination and Social Entrepreneurship.” The class is an interdisciplinary course involving faculty from a variety of departments as well as guest speakers. As part of the course, students will develop plans for solving regional problems or to take advantage of opportunities that will make positive changes in the local communities. Students will also receive technical assistance and financial support to implement their ideas. The goal for the sponsoring departments is to eventually create a Social Entrepreneurship Collaborative at UMBC to serve as an informal steering committee for future initiatives. PI: David Hoffman, Co-PIs: Delana Gregg, Dr. Roy Meyers, Dr. Cheryl Miller, Lee Calizo, Michele Wolff.

The Department of Education received a $5,000 grant to develop a course on economics, finance, and entrepreneurship for K-12 teachers. PI: Dr. Linda Oliva, Co-PIs: Dr. Doug Lamdin, Dr. Steve Hemelt.

The Department of Continuing and Professional Studies received a $5,000 grant for the development of courses in a new interdisciplinary graduate-level certificate program in entrepreneurship at UMBC. PI :Dr. John Martello, Co-PI: Dr. Christine Morris.

Faculty Innovation Grants:

• $5,000 to Matthias Gobbert, Math Department, to develop and implement a marketing plan and marketing materials to expand the Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Consulting outside of the UMBC community. Co-PI: Dr. Nagaraj Neerchal.
• $5,000 to Joe Tatarewicz, Human Context of Science and Technology, to develop a case study in scientific and technological entrepreneurship for use in courses in the interdisciplinary HCST program. Co-PIs: Dr. Rick Welch, Dr. David Mitch.
• $3,000 to Roy Rada, Information Technology and Engineering Department, to develop and implement a graduate and undergraduate course introducing students to computer-supported financial investing as a means for encouraging entrepreneurial thinking about investing and financial management.
• $2,000 to Helen Burgess, English Department, to establish and implement an online academic journal that utilizes student editorial assistants.