UTC’s Harris Chair of Excellence in Entrepreneurship announces the fourth year of the Mocs Innovate mini-grant program

The Clarence E. Harris Chair of Excellence in Entrepreneurship in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Gary W. Rollins College of Business is excited to announce the third year of Mocs Innovate: The Harris Chair Seed Fund for Innovation. This mini-grant program is designed to foster inventive research and entrepreneurial initiatives on campus. UTC faculty and staff are encouraged to apply for grants of up to $4,000 to support new ideas with commercialization potential.

The deadline to apply for this cycle of grant funding is December 15, 2026.

The Mocs Innovate mini-grant program aims to inspire and support creative projects at all stages of development and is open to any UTC faculty or staff member with innovative ideas that demonstrate clear pathways for licensing or entrepreneurial ventures. By providing up to $4,000 in funding, the Mocs Innovate initiative seeks to accelerate the development of ideas that can have a meaningful impact both within and beyond the university.

“The charge of the Harris Chair is to spread entrepreneurship across the UTC campus,” said Thomas Lyons, Clarence E. Harris Chair of Excellence in Entrepreneurship. “These seed grants further this goal by supporting the advancement of research commercialization, where invention meets entrepreneurship.”

Program guidelines

Successful proposals will demonstrate:

• Clear potential for impact
• A detailed plan for the use of the funds

Please note funds cannot be used as direct compensation to the awardee or to fund student salaries. However, awardees can use the funds for supplies, travel and other costs that adhere to the University of Tennessee policy.

Eligibility

Applicants must be a member of the UTC faculty or staff, and their proposals must show a strong commercialization pathway. This mini-grant program can support participants as they explore innovative technologies, develop products or investigate new services and offers the opportunity to turn innovative ideas into real-world applications.

Application information

Proposals must be submitted by December 15, 2026. Click here to access the application. For additional information, please email [email protected].