Kummer Innovation and Entrepreneurship Doctoral Fellows

The Kummer Innovation and Entrepreneurship Doctoral Fellows Program (Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows) is one of several new initiatives established through a generous gift of $300 million from June and Fred Kummer, longtime benefactors of Missouri S&T. This program is designed to help Missouri S&T realize Mr. and Mrs. Kummer’s desire to encourage innovative-minded students to pursue doctoral degrees to strengthen applied research, technological innovation, and economic development in the region, state and nation.

The Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Program is limited to no more than 100 active fellows. The program is open to domestic and international students. Each Kummer I&E Fellow will receive a Graduate Research Assistantship position on campus, a fellowship (paid out semesterly), and tuition remission for required coursework for up to four years.

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Exclusive opportunities

Kummer I&E Fellows will engage in a number of special opportunities, including:

  • The Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows welcome and kickoff at the start of each semester.
  • Presenting research at the annual Kummer Day event and at the Graduate Research Showcase.
  • $1,500 per year in professional development funds to be used for conference travel, membership dues, or journal fees.
  • Attendance at industry site visits to learn and observe firsthand cutting-edge research and development of products.
  • Participation in competitions, seminars, and lectures focused on learning and implementing entrepreneurship concepts.
  • Serving as mentors to S&T undergraduate Kummer Vanguard Scholars.
  • The Kummer Doctoral Achievement Award and medal for fellows who complete their Ph.D. in 4 years.
  • Doctoral I&E Award for fellows whose research leads to commercialization. 

Student Eligibility

The Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Program is open to domestic and international full-time Ph.D. students admitted to an on-campus degree program starting in either the fall or spring semester.

Students enrolled in any Missouri S&T master’s degree are eligible to apply for the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows program in the final semester of their master’s degree. 

  • A student who enrolls in a Ph.D. program at Missouri S&T and then conducts a change of education level to pursue a master’s degree will not be eligible to apply for the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows program in the final semester of their master’s degree.

Current Missouri S&T students who are Dual Enrolled or in the Grad Track Pathway are eligible to apply for the Kummer I&E Fellowship in the final semester of their bachelor’s degree.

In the event that the Ph.D. program for which the student wishes to apply has not been fully approved and added to the graduate application in Slate prior to the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Program student application deadline, the following policy will apply:

Students intending to apply for a new Ph.D. program that has not been fully approved and added to the graduate application in Slate prior to the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Program student application deadline will not be eligible to apply for the fellowship for the semester they intend to enroll in the new Ph.D. program.

  • E.g., If Student A intends to enroll in a forthcoming Ph.D. program (Program ABC) for Fall 2024 but Program ABC does not exist on the graduate application in Slate prior to the January 31, 2024, student deadline to apply for the fellowship, then Student A will not be eligible to apply for the fellowship with said Ph.D. application for the Fall 2024 cycle.
  • Students who choose to apply for a different Ph.D. program which does exist on the graduate application in Slate prior to the fellowship deadline will be eligible to apply for the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Program for the semester listed on their Ph.D. application. Per existing university policies, Ph.D. applicants cannot change the academic program on their Ph.D. application once an admissions decision has been made. For more information on this policy, please contact stgrad@mst.edu.

 

Once the new Ph.D. program is active, students who enroll in the new program during its first semester of enrollment will receive an exemption to allow them to apply for the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Program in the application cycle immediately following their first semester of enrollment.

  • E.g., If the forthcoming Ph.D. program (Program ABC) is added to the application on May 1, 2024, and Student A is admitted for and enrolls in Fall 2024, Student A will be permitted to apply for the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Program in the Spring 2025 application cycle.
  • This exemption is valid for the next application cycle only.
  • E.g., If Student A enrolls in Fall 2024, they are only eligible to apply for the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Program for Spring 2025. They are not eligible to apply for the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Program for Fall 2025 or beyond.

If a student chooses to take advantage of this exemption, they are still required to receive a faculty nomination in support of their application to be eligible for consideration for the fellowship. The faculty member's declaration of financial support for 12 months that is required on the nomination form can be reduced by the number of months the student has already received financial support from the department.

Application Deadlines and Review Process

Only potential incoming doctoral students who have not yet started their graduate program at S&T are able to apply for the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Program. Potential incoming students must complete their application to a doctoral program, prior to submitting this fellowship application. After submitting the student application, the faculty advisor for the student candidate will complete a nomination form. Students who have been admitted into the doctoral program and have a completed Kummer I&E Fellowship application packet (student application and faculty advisor nomination) will then be reviewed by the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Program Selection Committee for final review and awarding of the fellowship. See specific deadlines below.

More details may be found in the Application and Selection Policies and Procedures document.

Semester Application Deadlines

Please note that the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellowship application cycle for Fall 2025 has concluded.

Check back here for more information about the next Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellowship Fall 2026 application cycle.

Admitted Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Requirements

Once you have been admitted as a Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellow you will receive a welcome packet with additional program information.

Requirements to stay in the I&E Doctoral Fellows program include:

  • Maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA.
  • Be enrolled with full-time graduate student status on the Missouri S&T campus.
  • Complete department Ph.D. requirements in compliance with the program timeline.
  • Actively participate in the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows program meetings, presentations and activities.
  • Prepare an annual progress report to be reviewed by the Kummer Student Programs office. 

View additional requirements and program information on the program page.

Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Program