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.

Have questions about the scholarship?

Email  Call 573-341-6903

Exclusive opportunities

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

  • The Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Welcome and Kickoff the start of each semester
  • Participation in the annual Kummer Day event to present research 
  • $1,500/year in supplementary funds to be used to advance research (conference travel, software, etc.)
  • 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

Program Requirements

New students starting Fall 2023

The Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Program is open to on-campus domestic and international full-time Ph.D. students admitted to a STEM degree program starting in the Fall 2023 semester.

 

Current Missouri S&T students

Current Missouri S&T undergraduates are eligible and encouraged to apply!

S&T graduate students currently enrolled in either M.S., M.A., or Ph.D. programs are not eligible to be nominated for or awarded a Kummer I&E Fellowship unless they meet the following exception:

  • Students who are currently pursuing an M.S., or M.A. at S&T in a department that does not offer a doctoral degree.

Thus, students enrolled in M.S., or M.A. degree programs in Biological Sciences, Psychological Science, Business and Information Technology, and English and Technical Communication are eligible to be nominated for and awarded a Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellowship for the pursuit of a Ph.D. degree at S&T.

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.

Semester Application Deadlines

Fall 2023

January 31: Submit your completed Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellowship Program application.

  • IMPORTANT: You must first have submitted a doctoral graduate program application before you apply for the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellowship.

February 15: The faculty advisors will have until this deadline to complete and submit a faculty advisor nomination form and to submit an admission decision for the student's doctoral application.

IMPORTANT: No conditional admits will be considered by the Kummer Fellows Selection Committee; students must be fully admitted by the department.

Beginning March 6: Finalists for the fellowship will be scheduled for zoom interviews with the selection committee.

March 20: Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows selection committee to announce awards.

March 20 - April 14: Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellow awardees living in the U.S. will be invited to campus for an in-person visit with their academic departments. Travel costs will be reimbursed by the Kummer Institute. International students will be able to schedule a virtual visit. Visits will be coordinated by the academic departments.

April 15: Deadline for Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows to accept their award.

Application Process

Step 1: Apply to a Doctoral Graduate Program

If you have not applied to a Missouri S&T doctoral program, you must first apply for the doctoral program and submit all required application materials. Once that process is complete you can submit your Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellowship application.

START YOUR DOCTORAL APPLICATION

Step 2: Apply to the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Program

Doctoral students who have already applied to S&T or are newly admitted, please review the fellowship application requirements and complete a Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellowship application. For help with the short-answer essay questions and your resume, contact Phillip Bode, Director of the S&T Writing Center, at pbode@mst.edu and writing@mst.edu at least 2 weeks prior to the application deadline.

APPLY TO THE KUMMER FELLOWSHIP

Step 3: Secure an S&T faculty advisor to submit the Kummer I&E Doctoral Fellows Program Nomination Form

Are you an academic faculty internal to S&T who would like to nominate an exceptional student for this fellowship program?

NOMINATE

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:

  • Maintaining a GPA of 3.5 and be enrolled with full-time status
  • Passing your department’s PhD qualifier exam in line with the program timeline
  • Active participation in I&E Fellows meetings, presentations, and activities
  • Preparing 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