Beginnings: internships at stem startups building pathways into the innovation economy

Northern Kentucky University received a $195,723 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084), effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028. The award supports "Beginnings: Internships at STEM Startups," a structured experiential learning initiative that prepares students, veterans, and career-transitioning professionals for roles in emerging technology sectors including biotechnology, artificial intelligence, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing. The program delivers a modular curriculum centered on commercialization training covering venture development, intellectual property, and startup readiness, followed by paid internships at early-stage, STEM-focused Kentucky-based startups where participants apply skills in market analysis, customer discovery, and product development.

The initiative employs a cohort-based model supported by startup mentorship and industry collaboration to provide hands-on experience in research translation and business innovation. Through national outreach and flexible scheduling, the program addresses workforce development gaps in high-growth innovation sectors while strengthening the U.S. startup ecosystem. Expected outcomes include improved commercialization capacity for participating startups, documented workforce development metrics, and a replicable, nationally adoptable training framework. No subawards are planned for this project.

Abstract

This project builds a structured, experiential learning model that prepares students, veterans, and career-transitioning professionals for roles in emerging technology sectors such as biotechnology, artificial intelligence, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing. The initiative provides paid internships at early-stage companies and commercialization training designed to meet the evolving needs of the innovative economy. Through national outreach, flexible scheduling, and modular program delivery, the program supports individuals entering high-growth fields. The initiative serves the national interest by strengthening the U.S. Startup ecosystem, expanding the skilled workforce, and enabling broader access to innovative-related careers. Participants begin with a structured commercialization curriculum focused on venture development, intellectual property, and startup readiness. Following this training, they complete internships with stem focused kentucky-based startups, where they apply their skills to market analysis, customer discovery, and product development. The program leverages a cohort model, startup mentorship, and industry collaboration to provide hands-on experience in research translation and business innovation. Through continuous evaluation and collaboration with academic and industry partners, the project builds a replicable model for preparing emerging technology talent. Expected outcomes include improved commercialization capacity for startups, high-quality workforce development metrics, and a sustainable training framework that can be adopted nationally. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.