The Center for Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship (CICE) seeks to encourage the students and faculty of the Wake Forest community to leverage their disciplinary interests and skills to create sustainable value and make a difference in innovative and entrepreneurial ways. We define value broadly, meaning it can be social, artistic, intellectual, scientific, and/or economic value.
Thanks to the generosity of two families in particular, we have endowments that enable us to provide seed grants to students and student teams as well as to faculty interested in launching an entrepreneurial enterprise, whether for social or commercial benefit.
The funds to support this activity come from the Russell D. and Elfriede Hobbs Endowment Fund for Entrepreneurship and the Liberal Arts and The Chambers Family Fund for Entrepreneurship. In addition, we have a time-limited funding from the National Science Foundation Partners for Innovation Program.
Description of Funding Opportunities
The Russell D. and Elfriede Hobbs Endowment Fund supports initiatives that have a core value that is pro humanitate, including charitable, educational, scientific and artistic enterprises. These ventures can be in concept stage or early start-up phases. Awards of up to $1,000 will be made to current undergraduate or graduate students and faculty who present the most compelling concepts. (read more)
The Chambers Family Fund for Entrepreneurship supports initiatives involving entrepreneurial-themed projects or ventures in which the internet and/or e-commerce play a significant role. Funds are available to faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students. The maximum amount to be awarded for any single proposal is $10,000. However, historically 60% of awards are under $3000 and 20% under $1000. (read more)
The David and Lelia Farr Fund for Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship provides financial resources in order to encourage undergraduate and graduate students in starting innovative, creative and entrepreneurial ventures in for-profit, not-for-profit, and hybrid ventures. Awards of up to $1,000 will be made to current undergraduate or graduate students and faculty who present the most compelling concepts. (read more)
The National Science Foundation Partners for Innovation Program supports experiential learning opportunities centered in life science: design innovation; sustainable energy and environmental issues; and web and mobile design application. A limited amount of funding is available for seed grants of up to $1000 through the Fall 2011 Semester. (read more)
