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Project sponsorship is a great way to build prototypes, explore new concepts and develop ancillary ideas while getting to know a team of soon-to-be professional engineers. The sponsor retains��any IP generated throughout the course of the project. Sponsorship, in many cases, includes financial support and mentorship of a team of five to seven students for a project cycle that lasts from August to May. Our sponsors play an important role in launching��students confidently into the workplace, simply by allowing them the opportunity to work on the kinds of projects they might tackle as an entry-level engineer.��

​If you are interested in sponsoring a project,��contact��Alan Goodman.

What Students Provide

• Each student team will commit at least 1,500 hours to the project.
• Student collaboration with professional engineers.
• ​Students leverage over 50,000 square feet of active learning spaces and fabrication��facilities like��the Idea Forge and��the��Integrated Teaching and Learning Laboratory, among others.��If desired, students may also work at the sponsor's worksite.
• ​Students budget time and materials��while gaining experience with industry procedures such as writing purchase orders and meeting deadlines under pressure.
• Each year, student teams submit approximately four written reports and many oral presentations on product development and testing.

"I have been looking forward to project work on a professional level for my entire undergrad. This course greatly exceeded my expectations for quality of collaboration and teamwork. Potential employers love asking about the project and are very impressed." - Past Senior Design Student

How Sponsors Contribute

• Sponsors pay a fee��of $17,500��for undergraduate and $20,000��for graduate projects. This fee��is split between student project budgets��and support of Idea Forge spaces, such as the��machine shop and the Chevron Design Studio, where students design and build hardware for their projects. The��difference in price is a reflection of the��difference in goals for the end product. While��undergraduate students endeavor on a best-effort basis to create a “trade-show-ready” prototype, graduate students work on a best-effort basis��to deliver a “manufacturing-ready” prototype.��Due to the best-effort nature of the engagement, sponsors are encouraged to submit projects that are not in their company’s critical development path.
• Sponsors are asked to provide an industry mentor who can commit 10 hours per semester to support the student team.��These hours are typically dedicated to weekly meetings with the students.​
• Sponsors benefit from students’ fresh ideas, gain an edge in��recruiting top students to their company and obtain functional��hardware with documentation��at the end of the project.��A company’s investment may also result in��the company retaining exclusive��rights to the intellectual property developed. When intellectual property is developed, sponsors own all IP, while students are listed on any patents filed,��with no ownership rights.��
• With sponsor approval, students present their work at the CU Engineering Projects Expo, a public forum open to��family, friends, alumni and the community.��

"In all cases, your program has delivered excellent value to our company��and has provided a rich experience to the students involved.��I credit this to something unique in your approach at CU �Ǹ�Թ�." -��Industry Sponsor

How Faculty Are Involved

• The faculty advisor��will devote over 40 hours to supervising the sponsored student team throughout the academic year.
• The faculty advisor assists student teams in understanding and executing the design process.
• The faculty advisor serves as��the primary point of contact for academic topics, including schedule, deliverables, grading and more.��
• The faculty advisor ensures that student teams meet the academic course goals and the company's project goals.