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 Weisser, 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.
Learn more about the Fall ’23 grantees.
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.
Project eligibility: 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, as long as they fall within these guidelines:
This program is best suited for projects at the exploration and prototyping stage; projects that are ready to scale up or are mainly seeking funding to support administrative costs will find more suitable support through other programs.
Selection criteria: The Jacobs Student Advisory Board and leadership will evaluate applications based on the strength of the project, written proposal, and applicants. More detailed guidance and tips are provided in the proposal writing template.
The selection committee will cultivate a grant cohort that represents the diversity of the Berkeley community and fosters an inclusive design community. – Students from underrepresented or non-traditional backgrounds are encouraged to apply and all applicants are asked to describe in their proposal how their project would advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Important dates and events are as follow. We are planning for grant cohort events (i.e. kickoff, midterm check-in, and showcase) to be held primarily in-person and in compliance with current campus public health guidance.
To receive announcements about the Innovation Catalysts program, including reminders about upcoming key dates, sign up to this listserv.
The application form requests basic information about your project and team, and then asks you to upload a detailed proposal. Follow the instructions on this template to develop your proposal; it contains formatting and content guidelines and advice on how to develop a stronger application.
Can Berkeley students who are on leave for the semester participate in the grant program? How about non-UC Berkeley students?
Only actively enrolled Berkeley students may participate in the Innovation Catalysts program. Non-Berkeley students cannot be grant recipients. Grantees can still collaborate with non-students, but such collaborators cannot receive full grant benefits (e.g. Maker Pass access).
Do I need to be on Berkeley campus in order to participate in the grant program?
Only students who are present on campus for the semester may participate in the Innovation Catalysts program, in order to fully benefit from the program experience and resources.
Should I apply for a Spark or Ignite grant?
The key differentiator between the two grants is the state of your project at the time you apply. 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 advanced 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 and the proposal template provides further guidance.
Is there a limit to how many times a student or project 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).
[Fall 2022 update] An individual student may receive no more than two grants during their time at Berkeley.
The grant committee will take prior participation and performance in the grant program into consideration when reviewing repeat applicants or projects.
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.
Students with further questions about the application process can review these slides from the fall 2022 application info session.
To receive announcements about the Innovation Catalysts program, including reminders about upcoming key dates and application cycles, please sign up to this listserv. Contact Janrey Javier at janreyjavier@berkeley.edu for questions. Read about the current and past grant cohorts: