We know that great research ideas between faculty and industry often may stall out simply because of timing. A company might be incredibly excited to collaborate, but its budget cycle to support a project will not open up for another few months.

To overcome that, the UNT College of Engineering Industry Graduate Research Fellowship steps in to fund M.S. and Ph.D. students for the first year of the collaborative project with corporate industry in the U.S., defined as a large-scale company with above 1,500 employees and structured management. This allows industry-academic teams to kickstart collaborative research projects immediately, while our corporate partners align their internal timelines and secure future funding required to sustain the fellowship project going forward after the first year.

Corporate Partner Interest Form

Why This Program Benefits Everyone

  • No more waiting on budget cycles to start: We cover the initial financial gap so exciting, collaborative ideas can launch right away.

  • Growing collaborative research: It provides a natural runway for launching new, long-term Corporate-UNT research projects.

  • Real-world experiences and skilled workforce pipeline: Our graduate students work directly with industry mentors, gaining hands-on experience and opening doors to future collaborations and employment.

Our Shared Commitments

A great partnership takes a team effort. Here is how we work together across the lifespan of the project to ensure success:

  • From the UNT College of Engineering: Provide the stipend and tuition for an eligible graduate student for the first year of the project so the research project starts without delay.

  • From the Industry Partner: Provide mentorship to the student and commit to securing internal funding to continue the fellowship project. After the first year, the industry support will be established as direct research funding to UNT, covering at least one full year of student tuition and stipend to continue the project.

  • From the Faculty Principal Investigator: Engage with the industry partner for collaborative project ideas and initiation. Guide the student's academic progress and lead the collaborative research. Keep everything aligned with both UNT and industry partner expectations and regulations.

Let’s Connect

We are excited to see what we can build together. Choose the option below that fits your role to get started:

Corporate Partners

Interested in collaborating with our researchers? Fill out our quick interest form, and we'll help connect you with the right team. 

Corporate partner Interest Form

UNT Faculty Principal Investigators

Ready to officially apply for the fellowship? Log in with your UNT credentials to start the application process.

Faculty PI Application form