Each year, the University of Chicago Innovation Fund hires twenty associates to aid in its Spring and Fall investment cycles. Associates act as venture capital associates, performing due diligence on innovative ventures coming out of the University of Chicago ecosystem. The program is structured as an apprenticeship, where associates learn by doing as part of an interdisciplinary team. By taking a deep dive into one investment opportunity per cycle, associates get a close-up look at the commercialization process and what it takes to move a technology from the lab into the real world.

In addition to their assistance with due diligence, alums of the IFA program serve as a critical pool of talent for the Innovation Fund throughout the year. In the past, outstanding IFA alums have been paired with faculty to spin out new ventures, placed with VC funds in our network, and worked on strategic projects for the fund.

Students and Post-Docs at the University of Chicago and our affiliate institutions (Argonne, FermiLab, MBL) are encouraged to Apply Online.

How to Apply: Apply here

Questions? Contact Steve Lehmann at slehmann@uchicago.edu