Applied Research Laboratories is a University Affiliated Research Center operating under a Department of Defense management plan with oversight by the Naval Sea Systems Command. Applied Research Laboratories makes significant contributions in support of national security through fundamental research, innovative science, and applied engineering.

The McCombs Entrepreneur Summer Fellowship (MESF), funded by the generous support of alumni donors and the Harkey Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies, enables innovative students to continue building their startups during the summer. Full-time undergraduate students from majors both in and outside of McCombs, and with four semesters of course work who are actively working on a startup are eligible to apply. Applicants working on any stage of startup development from ideation to scaling are eligible to apply.

The Drug Dynamics Institute focuses on innovators who are developing novel drug therapies, devices, diagnostics, and digital health solutions. Our courses emphasize the importance of team-based, applied learning across multiple disciplines, including Pharmacy, Engineering, Natural Sciences, Business, and more. Courses include Fundamentals of Health Innovations, Health Innovation Entrepreneurship Practicum, and Health Innovation Dexterity (in development).

Texas Biodesign is inspired by Stanford Biodesign’s process of front-end innovation development, in which interdisciplinary teams of researchers, engineers, business participants, and clinicians work to understand how to use needs-driven innovation to solve medical and business problems. Texas Biodesign is a collaboration between UT’s Texas Innovation Center and Texas Venture Labs, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, and NASA.

The Texas Institute for Discovery Education in Science (TIDES) aims to catalyze, support, and showcase innovative, evidence-based undergraduate science education in the College of Natural Sciences. TIDES serves a variety of connected roles: creating and connecting students to experiential learning opportunities; facilitating curriculum reform efforts and faculty development across the sciences; and collecting, curating, and analyzing data to steer TIDES and college evaluation efforts.

Venture Fellows is a year-long program for a selected group of MBA students. Applicants must be enrolled in the McCombs MBA program. For one spring and one fall semester, students work for a venture capital firm, private equity firm, or local incubator or accelerator in conjunction with a weekly class.