Our Fellowship Programs
Our Fellowship Programs
Overview
Pioneered at UC Berkeley, the Bakar Fellows Program catalyzes commercialization of innovative research by supporting aspiring faculty- entrepreneurs and their research teams. The Bakar Spark Fund seeks to identify and support research (even early stage) that holds commercial promise.
![Ben williams headshot](https://bakarfellows.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/20230907_SparksFellows_bhs_003-1-scaled.jpg)
Faculty Fellows
UC Berkeley faculty are no strangers to innovation, but technology translation can be a challenging endeavor.
That’s why the Bakar Fellows Program selects up to seven UC Berkeley faculty every year to receive funding and mentorship as Spark Award recipients.
![yifan you headshot](https://bakarfellows.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20230929_BakarSparksFellows_bhs_021-1-scaled.jpg)
Innovation Fellows
Bringing research to market is a team effort. The Bakar Innovation Fellows program, introduced in 2017, is an opportunity for entrepreneurially-inclined researchers to participate in translating research to commercial applications.
Bakar Innovation Fellows are graduate students or postdocs working with a Bakar Faculty Fellow on a Spark Award or Bakar Prize project. Many Innovation Fellows are venturing into the entrepreneurial landscape for the first time, therefore enrichment activities and events are a core component of the Innovation Fellows experience.
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Ignite Scholars
The Ignite Scholars Program, introduced in 2023, provides undergraduate students with a stipend to work with Bakar Fellows in their labs. A new cohort of exceptional undergraduates are chosen for the program every semester.
Learn More
![nunez lab](https://bakarfellows.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20230907_SparksFellows_bhs_036-1-scaled.jpg)
Spark Award
The Spark Award is designed to accelerate Berkeley faculty-led research to tangible, positive societal impact through commercialization.
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Bakar Prize
The Bakar Prize is awarded to select Bakar Fellows to bridge proof-of-concept to startup and commercialization for particularly promising technologies.
![kat smoot headshot](https://bakarfellows.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/20230907_SparksFellows_bhs_006-1-scaled.jpg)
Innovation Fellows
Bakar Innovation Fellows are graduate students or postdocs working with a Bakar Faculty Fellow on a Spark Award or Bakar Prize project and interested in translating the research to commercialization.