U of A Students Help Tech Startups With Federal Grants Through Science Venture Studio Fellowship

Photos Submitted

Najee Stubbs, Anna Buckley

The Science Venture Studio marked another successful semester for students and startups with the conclusion of its fall 2021 commercialization fellowship.

Startup Junkie, which oversees the Science Venture Studio, hired two U of A students last fall who were able to contribute their expertise to SVS client companies as they worked toward applying for a Small Business Innovation Research or Small Technology Transfer Research Grants. 

• Najee Stubbs, a senior in the College of Engineering, was paired with Cal-Tenn Innovations. They worked toward completing an NSF Phase I SBIR proposal to aid in the development of their UltraShield Device, which could help reduce the use of gels on ultrasound probes. Stubbs also helped the SVS team determine and develop a strategic plan to better serve international students who apply to be a commercialization fellow.

• Anna Buckley, a junior in the Walton College honors program, was paired with Cureate, which aims to shift the dollar back into our local communities by building an empowered food and beverage supply to meet a changing consumer demand. They applied for a U.S. Department of Agriculture SBIR Phase I proposal. Buckley was also instrumental in helping the EMPOWER team develop marketing materials for its accelerator, which will have its official kick-off on Jan. 26. 

"Each semester, SVS has the opportunity to work with new clients as they prepare an SBIR or STTR proposal," said Katie Thompson, director of the Science Venture Studio. "I am always amazed at the amount of support that the students provide these companies, along with their insight on ways that SVS can better serve our community."

The fellowship is a partnership between the U of A and Startup Junkie. The fellowship lasts one semester, with a $5,000 stipend. The Science Venture Studio has hired three new fellows for the spring 2022 cohort to help early-stage science and technology companies as they prepare proposals to various federal agencies.

The fellows will assist the companies with market research, customer discovery and other duties as needed to reach the milestones the companies have identified for a successful small business proposal.

"I value everyone on our team as we continue to help early stage science and technology companies," Thompson said. "The expertise and experience that the students bring each semester has been instrumental in helping companies and the overall growth of SVS." 

About Science Venture Studio: Supported by the Walton Family Foundation, the Science Venture Studio in collaboration with Innovate Arkansas, the Northwest Arkansas Council, University of Arkansas Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Startup Junkie aims to help Arkansas science- and technology-based startups apply for non-dilutive federal funding. The SVS team is composed of a grant specialist, advisor, commercialization fellows and technology mentors all with the passion for helping small science and technology businesses secure funding to develop their technology and grow their company.