School of Business initiative receives renewed federal grant

LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Center for Entrepreneurship has received a grant that, after it’s matched dollar-for-dollar by private donations and the university, will total more than $1 million.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded the five-year, $525,000 grant in August. The KU Institute of Policy & Social Research (IPSR) and the KU School of Business Center for Entrepreneurship combined efforts to secure one of only eight grants awarded in the region out of about 40 nationally.

The grant furthers the center’s goal to encourage an entrepreneurial mindset among KU students and faculty by focusing on education, research and outreach programs to provide experiential learning opportunities.

“The programs funded by the EDA grant provide solutions to Kansas’ economic development challenges but also provide excellent experiential learning opportunities for our students by bringing the projects into the classroom,” said Wally Meyer, director of entrepreneurship programs.

The grant will be applied toward two strategies: clinical application and applied research. The clinical applications include KU Entrepreneurship Works for Kansas programs such as RedTire, Entrepreneurship Education for Everyone (E3) and Jayhawk Consulting. The applied research, conducted by IPSR, will focus on studies that benefit economic and entrepreneurial development, capacity and planning.

IPSR’s Genna Hurd said the way KU will use the grant is unique.

“By providing both applied research and clinical programs, KU is leveraging its strengths to produce economic development in Kansas,” she said. “KU is indeed working for Kansas.”