The Texas Performing Arts Fabrication Studios are a fully staffed production facility and learning laboratory. We construct scenic elements, painted backdrops, theatrical properties, displays, and installations for funded projects. We co-design projects with UT faculty, staff, and student organizations and fabricate with our professional staff and paid student interns.

The Inventors Program (IP) engages undergraduates in applied experiences where they generate solutions to interesting questions. IP is inclusive to students who may not typically identify as entrepreneurs or innovators. Student teams are scaffolded through tiered experiences where they explore problem-scoping and ideation and develop industry and scientific skills with prototyping and project pitches. An IP industry network prepares students for internships and future careers in STEM industries.

March Economic Madness is an interscholastic competition, building on our internal student challenge, that provides university students an opportunity to form teams and compete across universities to develop fitted and beneficial solutions for real community problems. A two-tiered selection process is used, first at each university, then between universities for top teams. Presentations will be delivered online with no need for travel. Cash awards are provided to top teams.

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 Product Prodigy Institute at UT Austin is an innovative hub for engaging students that identify as first generation or low-income in startup methodologies and product management with a focus on social and environmental impact. The 2 year program equips students with cutting-edge skills in design, technology, and entrepreneurship, creating pathways to high demand careers and wealth creation. 

The Sustainability Education and Enterprise Development (SEED) program is more than just a competition. Unlike other challenges that occur over a shorter period, we provide mentorship, curriculum, and networking opportunities for students over two semesters. Our goal is to train future problem solvers to address root problems through a sustainability lens – not just to give a great pitch. SEED’s long-term mission is to create a collaborative network of educational institutions, impact businesses, and community programs to train youth to become sustainability innovation leaders in any career through education and experiential learning.

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.

Texas Global Faculty Research Seed Grants support faculty with peer collaborators at institutions abroad to conduct research that addresses global challenges. Seed is available to pursue a new research project with a peer collaborator at a leading institution/organization with which UT has an existing partnership, or an institution/organization with which UT Austin would like to explore development of a new partnership. Projects focused on entrepreneurship and innovation are invited to apply.

Texas Immersive Institute’s mission is to provide access to emerging technology and research and design experiences for artists, scientists, and humanists who use storytelling to share solutions to big problems that are responsive, responsible and remarkable.

Our goal is to imagine the unknown into existence through the practice of Immersive. We strive to ensure our community lives at the intersection of culture and commerce such that consumers can engage through a blend of physical, digital and voice environments with ease.