2020-2021 Update: The Innovation Catalysts program will continue to run and bolster student creativity this year. Following guidelines from campus leadership, the program has been adjusted so that all events will happen virtually and access to Jacobs Makerspace resources will be through remote fabrication services.
Please check our COVID-19 news post for other updates relevant to Jacobs Hall.
Every semester, students bring a wide range of innovative projects to life at Jacobs Hall and throughout Berkeley’s vibrant design ecosystem. The Jacobs Institute Innovation Catalysts, made possible by Deborah Weiss, Ben Gomes, and the Eustace-Kwan Family Foundation, is a student grant program that provides an avenue for these ambitious student innovators to unlock further potential in their projects. 
Berkeley students are invited to propose projects that they aim to develop over the course of a semester. Selected grantees will work on their projects with the support of resources from the Jacobs Institute and CITRIS Invention Lab, and as part of a cohort of fellow student innovators. Reflecting a focus on shared investment within the institute’s student design community, the Jacobs Institute Student Advisory Board (SAB) plays a key role in the grant selection process. SAB members, who represent diverse perspectives from the student community, review and make finalist recommendations on grant submissions.
The Innovation Catalysts are awarded on a biannual basis, in January and September; several grants will be awarded during each grant cycle. Two types of grants are offered in the Innovation Catalysts program:
Grantees commit to:
Grantees receive monetary stipends at the start of the grant cycle, as requested in their grant proposals. Stipends are disbursed in the form of department awards from the UC Berkeley Financial Aid & Scholarships Office; please contact them if you have questions about how receiving a grant would affect your financial aid package or taxes. The grantees in each grant cycle will form a cohort, with members serving as peers and resources for each other. In addition to the grant stipends, grantees will receive support from the Jacobs Hall makerspace and the CITRIS Invention Lab, including advising from staff and sponsored Maker Passes.
Applicant eligibility: Applicants can apply as individuals or in teams of up to five members. Everyone on the applicant team must be an active UC Berkeley student during the grant cycle. Both undergraduate and graduate students, from all departments and programs, are eligible.
Project eligibility: All projects must make use of the Maker Pass program. Beyond that, we welcome a wide range of projects at the intersection of design and technology innovation, reflecting the multitude of talents and interests in the Jacobs community.
Selection criteria: The Jacobs Student Advisory Board and leadership will evaluate applications based on the strength of the project, written proposal, and applicants. Projects should align with the Jacobs mission and values, make meaningful use of Maker Pass resources, balance innovation and ambition with feasibility, and have potential for high impact on an identified design/technological challenge. Proposals should be clear and detailed. Applicants should demonstrate that they have the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to succeed.
The selection committee will cultivate a grant cohort that represents the diversity of the Berkeley community and fosters an inclusive design community. To that end, students from underrepresented or nontraditional backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Important dates and events for the spring 2021 grant cycle are as follows.
The spring 2021 grant cohort application deadline has passed. Information about the fall 2021 cohort application will be published this summer.
The application form requests basic information about your project and then ask you to upload a detailed proposal. Proposals must follow the formatting and content guidelines below:
Formatting guidelines
Content and outline guidelines
Can Berkeley students who are on leave for the semester participate in the grant program? How about non-UC Berkeley students?
Normally, only actively enrolled students may participate in the Innovation Catalysts program. However, in light of the unusual circumstances this year, students who were enrolled last year and are taking a temporary leave of absence this year may join the fall 2020 or spring 2021 cohorts. At least half of the grant team must still be currently enrolled students, however.
Non-Berkeley students (e.g., those with neither current nor future student affiliation) cannot be grant recipients. Grantees can still collaborate with non-students if they wish, but they will not be officially involved with the grant program nor receive grant benefits.
Do I need to be on Berkeley campus in order to participate in the grant program?
Normally, only students who are present on campus for the semester may participate in the Innovation Catalysts program, in order to fully benefit from the experience. However, in light of the unusual circumstances this year, students do not have to be in the Berkeley area to join the fall 2020 or spring 2021 cohorts.
Should I apply for a Spark or Ignite grant?
The key differentiator between the two grants is the state of your project at the start of the grant cycle. If you have an idea but do not yet have a first prototype or proof of concept, the Spark grant would be more appropriate. If you wish to continue developing an existing prototype that already has demonstrated impact, the Ignite grant would be more appropriate. For Ignite grants, there is a higher expectation for progress made prior to the grant program and a more complex deliverable achieved by the end of the program.
Do you have tips for how to create a good application?
The Selection Criteria section of this page provides guidance about what the review committee considers to be a strong application.
Is there a limit for how many times I can receive an Innovation Catalysts grant?
A grant project can receive Innovation Catalysts support up to two times (does not have to be sequential semesters). There is no specified limit on how many times a individual student can participate with different projects, although the grant committee will take prior participation into the grant program into consideration.
Do I retain intellectual property ownership of my grant projects?
The Jacobs Institute does not take ownership over any student work. Grant projects are still subject to UC Berkeley intellectual property policies, however. Please review the intellectual property FAQ for more information about how any policies might affect your project.
Can I use this grant to work on projects for a current or future startup?
Jacobs Hall resources are intended to support coursework, personal learning and open research. Early stage prototyping by individual students is considered under this category. However, Jacobs Hall resources may not be used for commercial purposes without a separate agreement with the Jacobs Institute. Projects for an already incorporated startup or business are considered to be in this latter category. Please review the intellectual property FAQ for more information.
To receive announcements about the Innovation Catalysts program, including reminders about upcoming key dates, please sign up to receive alerts (a new signup is required each semester). Contact Amy Dinh, student services & programs manager, at amydinh@berkeley.edu for questions.
Read about the current and past grant cohorts: