The Insider: Researchers, Inventors and Creators Edition—September 2025

Upcoming CU Opportunities and Events

Thursday, Sept. 11, 5-8 p.m., Wolf Law Building, Wittemyer Courtroom

Now in its third year, the Startup Variety Show is one of the best ways to connect with Colorado’s Front Range innovation scene. It brings together 91ɫ�� researchers, federal lab innovators, startup founders and technologists from established companies—all on one stage. The show highlights the region’s most creative minds and the ideas shaping what’s next.

CU Showcase Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Impact

Monday, Sept. 15, Denver, CO

Join CU at Colorado Startup Week to connect with world-class founders who are reshaping industries from precision healthcare to quantum technology.

Venture Partners and NSF I-Corps | Therapeutics Customer Discovery Program

Application Deadline Tuesday, Sept. 30 | Program Oct. 7-Nov. 4, Virtual

Do you have a therapeutic innovation that could improve lives? This program is a focused, five-week entrepreneurial training program designed to help academic researchers and early-stage biotech innovators explore the commercial potential of therapeutic technologies. Open to innovators inside and outside the University of Colorado.

Research & Innovation Week October 6-10, 2025

91ɫ�� Research & Innovation Week

Oct. 6-10, Various Venues

The seventh annual��Research & Innovation Week is designed to elevate awareness across campus, build a sense of shared community, create opportunities for collaboration and recognize exceptional leadership and outcomes.

Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, 9:30-11 a.m., Sustainability, Energy and Environment Community (SEEC) S372

Join Venture Partners during 91ɫ��’s Research & Innovation Week for an insightful discussion focused on translational research funding. Explore how Venture Partners can support you in securing funding, including SBIR/STTR grants, National Science Foundation Translation to Practice grants, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) Advanced Industries grants and more. Whether new to these programs or looking to expand your research’s impact, this event will equip you with the knowledge and connections to take your work to the next level.��

Translational Funding Week

Oct. 27-30, Noon–2 p.m. MT, All Sessions Available Virtually and Day 1 Available In Person

Are you a university researcher, inventor or deep tech founder exploring ways to translate your innovation into real-world impact? Join us for��a series of engaging lunchtime sessions designed to demystify the landscape of non-dilutive funding opportunities that support the journey from lab to market. These sessions are tailored to faculty, postdocs, PhD students and startup teams who want to learn how to secure early-stage funding to commercialize research, build ventures and scale innovation.

More CU Opportunities and Events

Opportunities Outside CU

Featured Opportunities

Tuesday, Sept. 16, Jan. 20, May 19 (deadlines) | —Supporting projects that build on early translational work to refine ideas, improve solutions and reduce barriers to moving research from the lab into real-world use.

Tuesday, Sept. 16, Jan. 20, May 19 (deadlines) | —Supporting translational efforts that demand one or more partnerships for technology development and deployment.

Rolling Deadline |—Offers up to two additional years of funding on a current NSF award to support high-risk, use-inspired research and early translation efforts not included in the original project.

Receiving Applications | —An incubation program to mature technologies in North American universities towards commercialization.

More Opportunities

Friday, Sept. 5 (deadline) | —For early-stage Colorado-based earth and space system technical founders, startups from federal labs, university startups and entrepreneurs who are seeking to be a part of a collaborative environment and supportive business climate.

Sept. 8 (deadline) | Sept. 16-Oct. 14 | —For first-time leaders and scientists new to management, this workshop is designed to build the foundations of leadership by exploring the characteristics of leaders, effective communication and teamwork skills.

Wednesday, Sept. 17 | —Selected startups will have five minutes to demonstrate their technology and vision to an audience of investors, potential customers, partners and fellow founders.

Sept. 15-17 | —A three-day gathering in 91ɫ�� of 1,000+ founders, mentors, partners and community leaders from across the global network.

Wednesday, Sept. 24 |—Celebrate six cutting-edge startups pioneering solutions that leverage digital twinning to tackle some of today’s most pressing climate and infrastructure challenges.

Monday, Sept. 29 (deadline) | —Investing in and cultivating meaningful partnerships with startups focused on advancing climate change mitigation, adaptation and resiliency efforts, while also promoting social equality and economic prosperity, in Exelon’s service territories.

Friday, Oct. 31 (deadline) | —Seeking innovative solutions or potential new capabilities, which may include existing technologies or procedures that are not currently in use, that would improve mission capabilities.

Nov. 19-21 | —The U.S.'s premier defense innovation event, connecting top dual-use solution providers with top military, industry and investment leadership.

Rolling Applications

—Promoting��growth and sustainability in Colorado’s advanced industries that increase the state's global competitiveness.

—Unshackled Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm focused exclusively on immigrant-founded startups.

—Expanding the capacity of builders and developers to construct and market zero emissions (all-electric) homes.

—Funding is granted through many different agencies across the federal government and in various areas of innovation.

—Empowering entrepreneurs by providing access to mentorship, capital��and a global network to help them succeed and scale their startups.

Various Deadlines

—A curated pipeline of vetted opportunities aligned with industry and national priorities from Catalyst Partners, government requirements and industry targets.

—Empowering the federal government and the public to participate together in equitable forms of innovation through prize competitions.

More Opportunities Outside CU

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