Entrepreneurship proposals from WUSTL faculty sought

Faculty and interdisciplinary teams from the entire University are being encouraged to submit proposals for new curricula addressing aspects of entrepreneurship in their discipline areas or cutting across disciplines.

Each curricular project could receive up to $10,000 through a five-year, $3 million Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation grant program, which is administered and coordinated by the Center for Research on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CRIE).

“Washington University is committed to making entrepreneurship education available University-wide by designing an integrated educational initiative that includes curricular, co-curricular, research and outreach programs,” said James E. McLeod, vice chancellor for students and dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, who serves as chair of CRIE’s Kauffman Curriculum Sub-Committee.

Faculty and interdisciplinary teams representing disciplines such as art, economics, political science, engineering, social work, law, business, architecture and the sciences may submit proposals for new courses or enhancement of existing courses, at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels. Examples of areas of interest include:

• economics of entrepreneurship;

• social entrepreneurship for not-for-profits;

• ethics of entrepreneurship;

• visual communication and commerce; and

• bioentrepreneurship.

Each curricular project for an enhanced course will receive $3,000-5,000, and each new course will receive $4,000-10,000, depending on the faculty effort required.

Initial applications must be submitted by Dec. 1, with the first round of funding decisions expected to be announced in January.

The sub-committee defines entrepreneurship as the process of seeing novel opportunities, acting energetically, and using limited resources and collaboration to create new value for others. This results in innovative creations, discoveries, inventions, products, services and activities that satisfy individuals while benefiting mankind.

“Our hope is to have this broad definition invite curriculum development from academic disciplines that might not typically consider this topic,” said Ken A. Harrington, managing director of the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. “We wish to see proposals that go beyond the topic of simply starting a new business.”

Interested parties should contact Marilyn Pollack at marilyn_pollack@wustl.edu or 935-8128 to obtain a packet that includes instructions, an application and worksheets for budget submission and outcome measures.

Additional submissions will be requested and accepted in coming months.

WUSTL is one of eight U.S. universities recently selected by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to share $25 million in grants through the Kauffman Campuses initiative, which is designed to make entrepreneurship education available across campus and transform the way entrepreneurship is viewed, taught and experienced.