The University of Texas Badge

In the Inventors Program, science and engineering students practice what they do best: creative problem-solving to make every-day life better.

Our teams of STEM students tackle real-world problems.

STEM students are uniquely equipped to arrive at creative, thoughtful solutions in translational research. That's why, in the Inventors Program, science and engineering students work together to solve problems that have stumped others up until now.

Our students test questions, make discoveries and invent together, working in teams on industry research. They also get to know community stakeholders and faculty mentors along the journey of transforming their ideas from concept through innovation.

Partially modeled on UT's award-winning Freshman Research Initiative, a program that connects teams of students to real scientific problems, the Inventors Program brings problems from the real world directly to STEM learners to solve. Students learn entrepreneurial design and development, while practicing the skills that employers value most, from communicating with diverse audiences to developing action plans.

The STEM students who find they get restless with the status quo—the ones who are ready to ask questions fearlessly and roll up their sleeves to make a difference—are the ones who thrive best in our Inventors Program.

Learn more about our course offerings and events for students»

Partners in the community power projects' success.

Each semester, we collect problem and project proposals for Inventors Program student teams to study and tackle. Local industry, community organizations, UT alumni and other partners provide these problems and consult students about them. From these problems, students develop projects, where they design, prototype, test, conduct market research, and make procedure and policy change recommendations having sunk their teeth into the challenge and how best to solve it.

Industry partners have opportunities to meet, observe and build connections with the STEM students working on these problems, making the Inventors Program an optimal strategy for any organization that seeks to recruit top scientific thinkers. Partner involvement occurs in our semester-long courses and at Inventors Sprints, one-day intensive events in which teams of students tackle problems under mentored supervision.

Contact us with your questions at inventors@cns.utexas.edu.