Find Campus Resources
As a BU community member, you are surrounded by resources that can help you launch new ideas while establishing an entrepreneurial mindset.
In addition to the BUild Lab, learn about the organizations and resources at BU and beyond that you can tap into for mentorship, funding, prototyping, skill-building, and more.
Coworking & Maker Spaces
BUild Lab IDG Capital Student Innovation Center
The BUild Lab IDG Capital Student Innovation Center, part of the Innovate@BU initiative, is home to people, programs, and collaboration space that helps BU students and recent alumni transform their ideas into something real.
The coworking space is open Monday-Friday, 8 am-8 pm. It includes an open seating area and private meeting rooms that can be reserved.
Requirements: The BUild Lab coworking space is open to BU students, staff, faculty, and alumni. All visitors are asked to sign-in at the front desk. Please check eligibility of specific programs that may only be open to current students or recent alumni.
Bioengineering Technology & Entrepreneurship Center
Opening in fall 2020, the Bioengineering Technology & Entrepreneurship Center (BTEC) is designed to transform education and innovation for bioengineering students through hands-on learning. The center advances cutting-edge technologies identified in partnership with industry, from gene editing to biosensors to digital medicine.
Engineering Product Innovation Center
BU’s Engineering Product Innovation Center (EPIC) is a 15,000 square foot, multi-million dollar maker space located in the heart of BU’s Charles River Campus.
After passing the initial safety exam, students begin to use EPIC by 1) enrolling in one of the many design and manufacturing classes taught in EPIC. 2) Sign up for one of the clubs that meet regularly in EPIC, such as the Design Community or the Global App Initiative. 3) Bring in your own personal project (only a sketch is required) and EPIC’s staff and student employees can help you build it.
Requirements: Must be a current BU student, faculty, or staff member and must pass the initial safety exam on EPIC’s website.
Photonics Center
The Photonics Center generates fundamental knowledge and develops innovative technology in the field of photonics. We work on challenging problems that are important to society, we translate enabling research discoveries into useful prototypes, and we educate future leaders in the field.
It’s programs and opportunities include research, academic and entrepreneurial programs for students, technology development, and business innovation and commercialization. c
Singh Imagineering Lab Lab: Tinker
The Binoy K. Singh Imagineering Laboratory, also known as “The Tinker Lab,” gives students the resources to take on extracurricular engineering initiatives and think about new ways to address society’s challenges. The Singh Imagineering Lab provides easy access to entrepreneurially-minded College of Engineering students, and other BU students working with them, without limiting the topic or timeframe of use. Using the lab’s tools and machinery—and guidance from faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate peers—students are encouraged to pursue their ideas and designs.
Requirements: Must be a current College of Engineering (ENG) student or a BU student working with at least one ENG student. All users must complete a 30-minute safety course.
Computer Science & Technology
BU Spark!
BU Spark! is an interdisciplinary computing and data sciences incubator and experience lab for BU students. It is housed by the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences (CDS), a new interdisciplinary academic unit free from the limits of traditional academic structure.
Spark! has two primary programming tracks available to students: The Fellowship Program and the X-Lab.
- Fellowship Program: Innovation Fellows start with an idea and are provided with a structured semester-long innovation experience to guide them through the process of taking their ideas from the initial concept to a working prototype. Innovation fellowships are available to CS majors for class credit or any students with programming skills through paid on-campus internships.
- X-Lab: Students participating in the X-Lab are provided with opportunities to work on a wide range of computer science and software engineering projects on behalf of external partners from diverse sectors.
Grants & Funding
Arts Programming Grants
The BU Arts Initiative is a nationally recognized program that works to ensure the integral role of the arts in the educational experience of every BU student.
Four different grants are available to students: Interdisciplinary Arts Programming Grants; Arts Integration for non-arts-related courses; Graduate Arts Research Grants; UROP Arts Research Awards.
Requirements: Please check specific grants for requirements. Projects must be focused on engaging BU students in arts activity or an academic exploration of the arts.
Inclusion Catalyst Grants
Offered by BU’s Office for Diversity & Inclusion, the purpose of the Inclusion Catalyst Grants (ICG) is to support collaborative and creative programs and initiatives that generate learning and stimulate efforts that catalyze foster inclusive and equitable communities at BU. Grants are awarded up to $2,000.
Requirements: Diversity and inclusion must be at the forefront of the proposed project or program. All BU students, faculty, and staff are eligible to apply.
Wellbeing Grants
The Wellbeing Project is a new campus-wide initiative to support students’ health and wellness during their time at BU. The Wellbeing Project awards grants up to $2,000 to lead initiatives that promote student health and wellness. Grants are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Requirements: All BU students, faculty, and staff are eligible to apply.
Undergraduate Research Grants
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) facilitates undergraduate participation in faculty-mentored research projects. Funding opportunities exist and the program is flexible, allowing research study in any academic area University-wide
Students can find a research opportunity through UROP’s Opportunity’s website or reach out to research faculty across the University. After identifying your research project opportunity, review the application process, and submit your application on a rolling basis.
Requirements: Applicants must be a current undergraduate student.
Public Health Activist Bucks
The Activist Lab is a vehicle to practice real-world activism. There are a variety of opportunities for BU Public Health students to get involved with public health issues that matter to you.
Activist Bucks is a micro-grant program to support student projects that create change through action. Most grants range between $500-$2,000 and are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Requirements: Must be a current School of Public Health student.
Campus Climate Lab
The Campus Climate Lab is an opportunity for student-faculty teams to submit their best ideas for research projects designed to make Boston University’s campus and operations more sustainable. The most promising ideas will be selected for funding and implementation. Grants range from $1,000 to $10,000 and are reviewed at the beginning of each semester.
Requirements: Must be a current student or faculty member. Ideas must support the goals of the University Climate Action Plan.
CAS Virginia Sapiro Academic Enhancement Fund
The Student Academic Enhancement Fund is designed to support undergraduate College of Arts & Sciences students in the pursuit of academic interests, endeavors, and achievements outside of the classroom. Most grants range between $200-$500 and are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Common uses of funds include cultural experiences, visiting exhibitions, guest speakers, live performances, field, trips, and experiential course materials.
Requirements: Must be a current undergraduate College of Arts & Science student.
Common Ground Grant
The Common Ground Grant funds individual students as well as student organizations interested in creating opportunities for cross-racial, cross-cultural, and cross-identity gatherings. Offered by The Howard Thurman Center, ideas should be aligned with Howard Thurman’s Common Ground philosophy, that meaningful and creative shared experiences can break barriers between people. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Requirements: Must be a current student or student organization.
Legal Services
The Start-up Law Clinic
Current BU students can apply for free legal assistance through the Start-up Law Clinic. The clinic provides advice and counsel on a range of legal issues faced by new ventures, including:
- advice on intellectual property strategy
- entity formation and initial founders’ equity allocation
- Negotiation of licenses and other agreements with third parties
- representation in connection with seed financing
The Start-up Law Clinic also publishes start-up focused blog posts, white papers, and presentations.
Requirements: Must be a current student.
The Technology Law Clinic
Current BU students can apply for free legal assistance through the Technology Law Clinic. The Clinic handles a diverse range of legal issues related to academic and innovative activity on behalf if its student clients, including but not limited to:
- Regulatory Compliance
- Media Law and Pre-Publication Review
- Computer Crimes and Torts
- Intellectual Property
- Data Privacy Law
Requirements: Must be a current student.
Fellowships
Public Health Activist Fellowships
The BU School of Public Health (BUSPH) Activist Lab sponsors the Activist Fellowship Program, an opportunity for up to two students per semester to engage in advocacy-related activities on a public health topic.
Fellows will work on (1) improving the public health infrastructure in Massachusetts and (2) furthering our advocacy efforts in the BUSPH’s neighborhood, including activities with Life on Albany, which focuses on issues of addiction and homelessness among our neighbors.
Requirements: Must be a current Public Health student.
Initiative on Cities Summer Fellowship
The Initiative on Cities partners with Mayors Offices in cities around the country to coordinate fellowship opportunities for Boston University graduate students.
Deadlines for programs vary. Please check the website for the most up-to-date information about fellowships and their application process.
Requirements: Must be a current graduate student.
NLC Menino Fellowship
The NLC Menino Fellowship provides one BU undergraduate student with the opportunity to explore an interest in public service, city-level programs and policies, and municipal leadership on behalf of children, youth, and families through an on-campus Directed Study and semester-long paid internship in the Washington, D.C. headquarters of the National League of Cities.
Requirements: Must be a current undergraduate student.
Digital Tools & Resources
Adobe Creative Cloud
The Adobe Creative Cloud (ACC) is a suite of software and web-based applications that creative professionals worldwide use. The suite includes over twenty individual applications that allow you to edit video and audio, process digital images, create single and multi-page layouts, render 3D objects, and many more. An ACC license also provides access to cloud storage and asset management between the various applications.
Requirements: Free licenses are available to current students (undergrad, grad, and professional).
Frederick S. Pardee Management Library – Innovation Resources Portal
The Frederick S. Pardee Management Library is located on the second and third floors of the Rafik B. Hariri Building at 595 Commonwealth Avenue, provides an extensive collection of leading print and electronic resources in business, management, and related subjects. In addition to its holdings, the library has curated an Innovation Resource Portal which provides resources for innovation, entrepreneurship and new ventures in various disciplines
Professional Associations
Agile Innovation Lab
The Boston University Agile Innovation Lab is a volunteer-led professional association whose mission is to educate Agilists of all experience levels, foster the community, and promote Agile Project management principles and practices. Check out its Articles + Research page for the latest articles and research or sign-up for one of their events, including webinars and Communities of Practice Meetings.
Learn more.