Have a technology that might become a spin-out? A company relationship that could benefit from serious market analysis? A commercialization question that has been sitting on your list because you haven't had the bandwidth to explore it?

The TIP Internal Project Funding initiative is designed for exactly that. Kummer College is investing in real projects that flesh out real business opportunities, with faculty in the lead and postdocs and senior graduate students supporting the work.

Real business analysis tied to real opportunities:

• Market feasibility studies for spin-out or commercialization candidates
• Business strategy work supporting an existing company relationship
• Applied research aligned with one of TIP's seven program themes: AI Obsolescence Prevention, Lean Operations Management, Change Management, ERP/SAP, Cybersecurity, Fintech, and HR Analytics & Strategy
• Data analytics, workforce studies, regulatory analysis, or supply chain research grounded in a concrete business context

Missouri S&T faculty members lead every proposal as the Faculty Project Lead. Postdocs and senior graduate students participate as team members through the Faculty Project Lead. If you have been looking for a way to bring structured analytical support to a business question you care about, this is it.

• Funding to support project execution across one 15-week semester
• A structured, professionally-managed program with clear milestones and deliverables
• The opportunity to produce work that can shape sponsor conversations, feed into commercialization decisions, or advance your applied research portfolio
• Full Missouri S&T IP retention (not typical for externally-sponsored TIP projects)

• RFP open now through October 1, 2026
• Review: October 2026
• Decisions: November 2026 (final approval by Dean Sterling)
• Project start: January 2027 (Spring semester)

Submit your proposal here: MS FORM LINK

The online application walks you through all six proposal sections plus attachments. Complete it in one sitting or save your progress and return.

We are happy to talk through your idea before you draft. A short conversation early can save real time later, especially if you want to confirm your project fits within TIP scope or discuss whether an emerging theme area might qualify. Additional Information About TIP RFP

Contact: Howard Appelman, Corporate Partnerships Specialist
happelm@mst.edu | (314) 973-0512

Kummer College of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development
Missouri University of Science and Technology