The University Innovation Fellows (UIF) program empowers students around the world to become agents of change in higher education. Fellows create opportunities that help their peers unlock their creative potential and develop the design-centered mindset required to take on complex challenges in today’s world. Students of all majors and academic levels – from first-years to PhDs – who want to shape the future of education are encouraged to apply.

What University Innovation Fellows Do

Fellows represent the student voice in the global conversation about the future of education. They become deeply familiar with the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem at their schools, working closely with faculty, administrators and community stakeholders. They develop system thinking skills and learn a variety of design approaches that support their work as change agents.

Based on their deep understanding of the landscape of learning opportunities available at their schools, Fellows design and implement activities to enhance that landscape. 2,600 (and counting!) at 300 schools around the world have created events, communities, spaces, courses and extracurricular resources. Learn more about the Fellow’s impact here.

Before joining the d.school, this program was created as part of the National Science Foundation-funded National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter) from 2011 to 2016.