Join Activate Houston and Texas A&M Innovation on August 15 to learn more about how the new Activate Houston Community will fund and support early-stage science entrepreneurs in Texas, and how to apply to its inaugural cohort.
By Ashley Skow, Texas A&M Innovation
Activate is a nonprofit organization that partners with U.S.-based funding and research institutions to develop a new generation of entrepreneurs through its unique two-year fellowship program. The organization aims to address climate change and other global challenges by training scientists and engineers from a variety of backgrounds and regions to translate their research breakthroughs into new products and services that will have a widespread impact on society.
This past spring Activate announced the launch of a new fellowship community in Houston made possible by a $20 million investment from the National Science Foundation. Houston will become its fifth community, with programs already established in Berkeley, Boston, New York, and “Anywhere”. Activate’s expansion to Houston is important support to the region’s scientific and entrepreneurial growth.
“We are very excited to be opening our newest Activate Community in Houston,” said Aimee Rose, Activate Executive Managing Director. “This is a city where innovation thrives, with an abundance of talent, capital and infrastructure – a perfect setting for the Activate Fellowship.”
The opportunity is ideal for early-stage science entrepreneurs who are committed to full-time commercial development of new technology innovations. The two-year Activate Fellowship will provide funding, technical resources, and unparalleled support from a network of scientists, engineers, technologists, and fellow entrepreneurs. Participants emerge from the program with the skills and resources to bring their research quickly and effectively to market.
Recruitment for Activate Houston’s first cohort of Fellows is now underway, with applications accepted September 19th – October 17th. Applications will go undergo a careful screening, review, and interview process. Ultimately, only about 10 candidates will be selected to join the prestigious Activate Fellowship which begins June 2024.
According to Dr. Joe Elabd, Vice Chancellor for Research at The Texas A&M University System, the high concentration of talented researchers emerging from Texas A&M make it the perfect recruiting ground for Activate Houston.
“The Texas A&M University System is excited to partner with Activate Houston,” said Elabd. “Some of the brightest scholars in the world are here engaging in groundbreaking research that could improve the lives of many. We want to connect our community with this amazing opportunity for entrepreneurship support, to translate research breakthroughs into real world impacts.”
The Texas A&M community is invited for an early opportunity to learn more about the Activate Houston Fellowship at a webinar on August 15, 2023, at 11am CT, hosted by Texas A&M Innovation.
Joining the webinar to answer questions about the experience will be a Texas A&M University Ph.D. graduate who currently participates as an Activate Fellow in the 2023 Cohort.
Read more about Activate Houston here.
