HOW DO WE DO THIS?
One joint proposal, filed together by the company and the faculty member. Start with a Statement of Interest; there's one for each side.
BEFORE YOU APPLY
A 30-minute conversation can make the proposal.
Meet with a MIPS staff member before writing your proposal, even if you know the program. Staff can help plan the proposal, assist with submission, and give it a preliminary review. That review can be invaluable: some applicants leave out readily available information that makes the difference in qualifying for an award.
MIPS staff and other professionals at the Idea Factory help companies find and select the right faculty researcher for their project, and help faculty connect with companies.
MIPS OFFICE
(301) 405-3891
Proposal planning, faculty matchmaking, and application access.
THE 14 PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS
Bowie State University
Coppin State University
Frostburg State University
Salisbury University
Towson University
University of Baltimore
University of Maryland, Baltimore
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
University of Maryland Global Campus
Morgan State University
St. Mary's College of Maryland
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
EVALUATION FEEDBACK
The researcher and the company will jointly prepare the proposal. If a proposal is not funded, a MIPS staff member can debrief the proposal team and assist the team in making improvements for re-submittal in the next round of awards.
WHISKER LABS
ELIGIBILITY & MATCHING
Firm Size
Definition
Cash Match (min)
In-Kind (min)
MIPS Cap/ Phase
Large
>1,000 FTE
50%
25%
$100,000
Medium
100-1,000 FTE
50%
25%
$100,000
Small
21-100 FTE (or 1-20 opting out of start-up financials)
20%
30%
$100,000
Start-up
<20 FTE, <$2M sales, no public stock, product-development mode
10%
35%
$90,000
Cash
Matching is based on the University Budget for the project: MIPS and the company both contribute cash, and together they equal the University Budget.
In-Kind
Companies also contribute in-kind: the company's own budget for its work on the project (salaries, materials, equipment, travel). No MIPS funds flow to the company; the company bears the cost of its own effort.
Limits & Overhead
The MIPS contribution is capped at $100,000 per phase for small, medium, and large companies, and $90,000 per phase for start-ups; there is no cap on overall project size. Minimum $5,000 university and company overhead count toward the match; each USM institution has its own overhead structure.
Start-up firms
<20 full-time employees, under $2M annual sales, no public stock, product-development mode. Submit an executive summary of your business plan (8 pages max) covering value proposition, market, team, and business model, plus a current balance sheet and a 3-5 year financial pro forma.
Small firms
21-100 full-time employees. Submit the Small Company Supplemental Business Summary if you don't wish to provide an executive-summary business plan. Companies with 1-20 employees may also apply as Small if they prefer not to provide start-up financials.
Out-of-state companies
Planning Maryland operations within the award year? Enclose a letter of intent describing the planned Maryland facilities and workforce. Out-of-state awards require prepaying both the MIPS and company portions; MIPS reimburses its portion once the Maryland facility requirements are met.
Conflict of interest
Maryland's ethics rules are stringent: each proposing company must disclose any substantial ownership position held by a state employee, or any other potential conflict involving a state employee.
Multi-year projects
Both one-year (one-phase) and two-year (two-phase) projects are eligible. A two-phase proposal is evaluated on the merits of the entire project, and one MIPS evaluation factor is the total cost of the project to MIPS, so, other considerations being equal, a one-phase project may be more attractive. If selected, a two-phase project is funded for year one; MIPS reviews its status near year-end, and year two may be funded as a non-competing renewal through an amendment to the existing contract, on the same terms.
HOW TO APPLY
01
Fill out a Statement of Interest.
Companies and faculty each have their own form; either side can start the conversation. Jump to the forms ›
02
Talk to a MIPS representative.
Call the MIPS office at (301) 405-3981 or email mips@umd.edu to speak with a staff member about submitting a proposal.
03
Find your match.
MIPS faculty come from any of the 14 participating institutions. A MIPS staff member can find companies the right faculty investigator, and find faculty the right company.
04
Apply, jointly. MIPS can help.
A MIPS staff member will give you access to MIPStrack, the online application system, where the proposal is filed jointly by the participating company and faculty member.
Maryland Companies
Step 01
Company Statement of Interest
A short form to start the conversation; it opens full-width on its own page.
Start the Form →Faculty & Researchers
Step 01
Faculty Statement of Interest
A short form to start the conversation; it opens full-width on its own page.
Start the Form →What the proposal covers
An overview only; actual requirements are subject to change, and an official MIPS application must be submitted. Contact the MIPS office for application access.
Description of the proposed project
Company's participation in project performance
Company's intentions for commercialization
Company's matching commitment
Company in good standing in the State of Maryland
Faculty and student co-op involvement
Schedule and budgets
Potential benefits to the company, state, and the university
Agreement to prepare reports during and after the project
SCHEDULE
September 2, 2026
MIPStrack accounts available
October 15, 2026
Proposal submission deadline in MIPStrack
December 10, 2026
Evaluation Board selections
January 8, 2027
Companies electronically execute agreements
February 1, 2027
Project commencement
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Ownership and procedures for licensing, protecting, and using intellectual property created or first
Ownership
The company owns IP developed solely by the company
The university owns IP developed solely by the university
IP developed jointly is owned jointly
The company has no rights to university IP developed before or outside the MIPS project
Rights to Use
The company has a nonexclusive license to all project IP for research purposes
The company has the first option to negotiate an exclusive or non-exclusive commercial license to all project IP
Royalties & Payments
License terms are negotiated between the company and the university case by case
The company generally pays the patenting or copyright costs for IP it wants to license exclusively
The headline for companies: first option to negotiate a commercial license on everything the project produces.
FAQ
Does MIPS take equity in the company?
No. MIPS funds never flow to the company. MIPS and the company together fund the university's side of the project; the company's own work is its in-kind contribution, at its own cost.
Who reviews proposals?
Four stages: MIPS staff screening, technical experts on technical merit, business experts on the economic case, and the Evaluation Board, which recommends projects for funding.
What about proprietary information?
Reviewers do not sign NDAs. Talk with MIPS staff before submitting anything sensitive, and keep proprietary detail out of the proposal itself.
What if our proposal isn't funded?
A MIPS staff member can debrief the proposal team and help improve the proposal for re-submittal in the next round.
