U of A students interested in the pursuit of deep entrepreneurial training are encouraged to apply for the Graduate Entrepreneurial Fellowship, which offers intense, hands-on access to the world of startups, businesses and nonprofits. 

Launched in 2021 with generous support from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation, the Graduate Entrepreneurial Fellows program is intended to support promising graduate students from all disciplines in the pursuit of intensive entrepreneurial training, including mentoring, seed funding and business plan coaching. 

Applications close April 1 for the summer and fall 2023 cohorts. Fellows are expected to devote at least 20 hours per week to their entrepreneurial coursework and pursuits. The program is open to all graduate students from any discipline. 

Montinique Davis, a master of finance student in the Walton College who participated in the fall 2022 cohort, focused on understanding the "why" and "how" behind a successful startup in order to grow and scale efficiently. She said the fellowship helped her learn the importance of having a healthy work-life balance. 

"The staff in the fellowship program have shown a genuine love towards the fellows. They truly understand this balance is important, and they encourage us to follow after that pattern," Davis said. 

"The program has been may things to me, but I must say that the former is the most significant." 

Research by previous fellows has touched on everything from food science and healthcare innovations to making buildings better resistant to earthquakes. 

Overseen by the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the one-year renewable fellowship provides a graduate assistantship, if needed, and a $10,000 stipend for master's students or a $12,000 stipend for doctoral students. Three exceptional Ph.D. students each year are also awarded the Kaneaster and Ruth Lindley Hodges Entrepreneurial Fellowship Award, which brings their stipend to $22,000 per year.   

More information and the application can be found at the bottom of the OEI graduate student academics page. 

About the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation: The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation creates and curates innovation and entrepreneurship experiences for students across all disciplines. Through the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub, McMillon Innovation Studio, Startup Village, and Greenhouse at the Bentonville Collaborative, OEI provides free workshops and programs — including social and corporate innovation design teams, venture internships, competitions and startup coaching. A unit of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and Division of Economic Development, OEI also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.