NKU's CIE Launches Start-up Internship Program with $1M NSF Grant

NKU's CIE gets a $1M boost. Students gain real-world startup experience, fueling the region's innovation ecosystem.

, and Administrator

2025 October 8 . 4:03 AM

1 min read

In this picture there are corn seeds in the white bowl. At the bottom there is a green color... — In this picture there are corn seeds in the white bowl. At the bottom there is a green color background and there is a text.

NKU's CIE Launches Start-up Internship Program with $1M NSF Grant

Northern Kentucky University's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) has received a significant boost with a nearly $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The funding will support the launch of the NKU INVENT Start-up Internship Program and its collaboration with Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation's Kentucky Commercialization Ventures (KCV).

The CIE, housed in the Haile College of Business, aims to drive innovation and entrepreneurial learning in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region. It equips students with the skills and mindset needed to thrive as entrepreneurs and innovators. The NSF grant will strengthen this mission by supporting the NKU INVENT program, which involves up to seven weeks of innovation and commercialization training followed by paid internships at partnering startups.

The NKU INVENT Start-up Internship Program and the KCV INVENT fellowship will offer stipends and flexible scheduling, allowing participants to fully engage in real-world, hands-on experience. This will expand transformative experiential opportunities for students in the Haile College of Business.

The nearly $1 million in funding from the NSF will enable the CIE to further its goal of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. Through the NKU INVENT program and its collaboration with KCV, students will gain valuable skills and experiences, contributing to the region's growing innovation ecosystem.