The First-Year Innovation Fellowship (FYIF) is a semester-long experiential learning program designed to empower students to turn their ideas into reality. Offered each fall and spring, fellows receive personalized coaching, gain practical skills in design thinking, customer discovery, prototyping, and pitching, and access valuable resources including a $500 seed grant to help launch or advance their ideas.
FYIF is also now a HUB Co-Curricular offering 1 unit in Creativity & Innovation!
Through weekly cohort meetings (Tuesdays from 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM) and immersive, hands-on learning experiences, participants develop crucial entrepreneurial and leadership skills while making a meaningful impact in their communities and beyond.
First-years (Freshmen, Class of 2030) of all backgrounds and majors who are not transfer students are encouraged to apply—no experience necessary!
Applications are due September 2 by 11:59 PM ET.
The early application deadline is August 25th, 2026, and the regular application deadline is September 2nd, 2026. Note that the cohort may be filled with only early decision applicants, so apply sooner than later!
Explore eligibility criteria and FAQs to learn more about the application process and what it's like being part of the cohort.
The First-Year Innovation Fellowship (FYIF) is a semester-long program designed specifically for first-year students at Boston University. Whether you have a fully formed venture idea or just a problem you care about, FYIF provides the coaching, community, and resources to help you turn passion into impact. This year, participating in FYIF gives you a Creativity, […]
Innovate@BU awarded $86,000 across the New Venture Competition and community awards on April 15 at George Sherman Union.
Join us in welcoming our new First-Year Innovation Fellowship participants for the Spring 2026 semester! These students are brimming with ambition, dedication, and fresh ideas. We can't wait to see how they grow over the next few months! FYIF is a program designed to give first-years the knowledge and skills necessary to find solutions to […]
The First-Year Innovation Fellowship (FYIF) is a semester-long program designed specifically for first-year students at Boston University. Whether you have a fully formed venture idea or just a problem you care about, FYIF provides the coaching, community, and resources to help you turn passion into impact. And, for the first time, participating in FYIF gives […]
The fall 2025 First-Year Innovation Fellowship wrapped up with 20 first-year students presenting ideas ranging from AI-powered meal planning to self-healing suture pads. Representing seven countries and a variety of BU schools, this cohort tackled problems in sustainability, healthcare access, digital literacy, and beyond. While FYIF has been around for more than five years, this […]
The newest Fall 2025 cohort of students in the First-Year Innovation Fellowship (FYIF) has arrived! FYIF is a semester-long program at Innovate@BU that empowers Boston University first-years to explore innovation and entrepreneurship through hands-on projects, mentorship, and community-building. Meet the cohort: Ananyah Amaram (ENG'29) is originally from Petersburg, Virginia and is studying Computer Engineering. Ananyah […]
Navigating your first year of college is both exciting and daunting. For freshmen at Boston University, the First-Year Innovation Fellowship (FYIF) program at Innovate@BU offers a unique opportunity to ease into university life and the realm of entrepreneurship and innovation. Through the reflections of several FYIF students, you'll get an inside look into how this […]
Welcoming the New FYIF Cohort The First Year Innovation Fellowship (FYIF) program offers early stage innovators at BU a unique opportunity to explore, innovate, and form meaningful connections . This year, we are thrilled to welcome 39 first-year students to the FYIF cohort to embark on this 9-month journey with Innovate@BU. More than 40% of […]