Looking for more opportunities?

The Running Start Program provides additional opportunities each year for students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and create their own opportunities. Some of these include:

Internship Opportunity Award: Thanks to the generosity of the Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU), and other individual donors, MSU Career Services Network is able to grant stipend awards for undergraduate students participating in unpaid internships for Summer 2024.

• The Internship Opportunity Award program was established to encourage students who have demonstrated the capacity to accomplish educational and professional goals, the motivation to achieve these goals and the initiative to seek experiential learning opportunities to further progress toward their career.
   
• Awards of $1000 per awardee are available. The number of awards will be given based on available program funds and demonstrated student interest and need.
   
• The deadline to apply is Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at 11:59pm.
  
  More information and application eligibility from MSU Career Services Network are available here.

 

Independent Project Funding: Small grants available (up to $500) to graduate students who are working towards building their brand, business, or future career through project-based work. Past projects have included launching a website, staging a concert, recording new works, learning a new skill through an online course, pursuing a certification and more. 

• Applications will be accepted in spring and summer semesters. Deadlines vary each year, generally around the beginning of April, and will be announced in the Running Start newsletter and Bathroom Bulletins. Application requirements include 1-page document outlinging your projeject and how funds will be utilized.
   
• 2024 Applications are due Monday, April 1st, 2024

Running Start Growth Grants: Grants of $2000-$7000 available to prior Running Start Competition winners to scale their pilots into more sustainable ventures or businesses. Applications will be due in early fall of each year. Information will be announced in the Running Start newsletter and via email to eligible candidates.

Career Development Cohorts: Need some accountability to get your project off the ground? Join a career dev cohort: a small group of 4–6 students, running in the spring and summer, from MSU and other music schools who are developing new ventures, programs, and projects. Cohorts run each semester and either focus on creative projects or job searching. Sign-ups will be announced in the Running Start newsletter and Bathroom Bulletins.

Tuba Bach Festival Partnership: Select ensembles are chosen by College of Music department chairs to create a dynamic program for a performance in Big Rapids, MI as part of the Tuba Bach Festival. 

Music in the Garden: Performers (especially Gigline musicians) have an opportunity to design a summer concert and engagement activities for a general community audience in the Beal Botanical Gardens. Interested performers should email beamerch@msu.edu in the spring of each year. 

MSU Community Music School East Lansing: CMS East Lansing accepts teachers interested in starting their own studio on a case-by-case basis. Teachers are responsible for recruiting their own students. Email Director Jaime DeMott to learn about possible openings and submit your materials for an interview and teaching demo.

MSU Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation: MSU's entrepreneurship institute features ways to develop your venture with a collaborative community. Pitch your business idea, secure funding, and take advantage of their intern staff for legal and marketing help. Graduate and Undergraduate students are eligible.

MSU Honors College Travel Funding for Undergraduate Students in the Honors College: If you are a member of the Honors College, you are eligible to apply for additional funding. Honors College Conference Travel Awards are available for MSU undergraduate students to present their research and creative projects at professional conferences. These funds are available to support travel to conference presentations of: (1) research or creative works conducted in close collaboration with an MSU faculty member or other qualified MSU research sponsor; and/or (2) a student's original research or creative project,supervised by a MSU faculty mentor. Questions should be directed to Dr. Justin Micomonaco at micomona@msu.edu. More information here.

1. MSU Honors College Travel Funding for Undergraduate students in the Honor's College: https://honorscollege.msu.edu/programs/research-opportunities/honors-college-conference-travel-award/

   1. "If you are a member of the Honors College, you are eligible to apply for additional funding. Honors College Conference Travel Awards are available for MSU undergraduate students to present their research and creative products/projects at professional conferences. These funds are available to support travel for conference presentations of: (1) research or creative works conducted in close collaboration with an MSU faculty member or other qualified MSU research sponsor; and/or (2) a student’s original research or creative project, supervised by an MSU faculty mentor. Questions should be directed to Dr. Justin Micomonaco at micomona@msu.edu. More information available via the link above."