Faculty
C-Startup

Create a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in your classroom!

APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2026-2027 ACADEMIC YEAR ARE CLOSED! PLEASE CHECK BACK IN SPRING FOR THE NEXT COHORT!

The Faculty C-Startup program is designed to support Texas Tech faculty interested in creating a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. The grants are sponsored by the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance (LEDA) and are competitive. Faculty who are awarded the grants will become ambassadors for innovation and entrepreneurship at Texas Tech for the academic year awarded.

The faculty ambassador bio, photo, and course will be listed on our website.

A total of eight awards, each valued at $2,500, will be awarded to faculty for developing a new course or improving an existing course. The course must include two entrepreneurship best practices: the Business Model Canvas developed by Alexander Osterwalder and the Lean LaunchPad developed by Steve Blank.

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must be faculty members within the Texas Tech University System. The proposed course must be taught by the faculty member submitting the syllabus. It may be a graduate or undergraduate course in any discipline and must be offered at least once per year.

Submission Requirements

• A one-page narrative describing the learning objectives of the course and why the course is competitive enough to receive the grant. Include how the Business Model Canvas and Lean LaunchPad methods will be integrated into the course and how students will be evaluated on these practices.
• A syllabus for the course with reference numbers.
• A 150-word bio and headshot.

Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year are closed. Please check back in Spring 2027 for information about the next Faculty C-Startup cohort.

Want your future application to be more competitive? Include the following:

• The average number of students enrolled in your class.
• The number of times your class is offered each year.
• A statement in your syllabus encouraging students, or offering extra credit, to attend at least one of the following Innovation Hub programs:
  • Red Raider Startup — Fall or Spring
  • NSF I-Corps — Fall or Spring
  • Red Raider Idea Competition — Fall
  • Hub Camp — Fall or Spring

Ryan Bain
Ideation Program Director
ryan.m.bain@ttu.edu