The University of Waterloo is awarding Entrepreneurial PhD Fellowships to support outstanding, business-minded Waterloo doctoral students who are interested in commercializing their research.
Successful fellowship applicants will be enrolled in the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business’ Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) part-time program. Recipients can complete the three-year part-time program alongside their regular doctoral studies, tuition-free.
Up to ten fellowships will be awarded for September 2023 including four for Engineering students, two for Science students, and one each for Arts, Environment, Health and Math students. Normally, domestic tuition for the program would total almost $35,000.
Meet the first 7 recipients of the Entrepreneurial PhD Fellowship!
Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology
MBET is designed to develop students’ entrepreneurial business skills and to anchor learning in students’ own planned and evolving ventures.
Purpose-driven, world-class Waterloo PhD students who complete a part-time MBET and have engaged and supportive supervisors will be uniquely positioned for ground-breaking successes. Students will develop entrepreneurial mindsets, frameworks and business skills alongside the pursuit of commercializing their research, all with access to Conrad School’s faculty and Waterloo’s unrivalled coaching and support system.
The three-year part-time MBET program is delivered on Friday evenings and Saturdays approximately every three weeks for ten months a year and is compatible with full-time doctoral studies for the right motivated students. The support of applicants’ advisors is a requirement for consideration.
Requirements and selection
The Entrepreneurial PhD Fellowships are competitive. Current full-time Waterloo PhD students must have completed at least one year of doctoral study by August 31, 2023.
Step 1
Interested candidates must submit the following information for consideration:
- completed online application,
- current Curriculum Vitae (CV), and
- a letter of interest.
Step 2
Once the application with the required documents has been received, the Conrad School Graduate office will request:
- an online interview to be completed by the candidate, and
- a letter of support from the supervisor identified on the application form.
Required online application with documents must be submitted by the deadline.
Applicants who meet the minimum requirements of the program will receive an invitation to an online, asynchronous interview shortly after the deadline, and their supervisor will receive an email to provide their letter of support at the same time.
Applicants will be assessed based on a combination of the student’s entrepreneurship potential and the commercialization potential of their research. Applicants are encouraged to highlight why they are excited about creating and managing a new venture and are asked to clearly articulate the potential applications of their research to solving customer problems in the letter of interest and online interview.
Watch Entrepreneurial PhD Fellowship recipients Kelly and Mojtaba talk about their experience in the MBET program and hear details about what to expect from Dr. Chris Holt.