Deadline: November 16, 2026
Applications are invited for the State of Black Entrepreneurship Fellows Program 2027. This initiative reflects the Center for Black Entrepreneurship (CBE’s) commitment to advancing scholarship on entrepreneurship, economic mobility, and wealth creation while building the nation’s leading body of knowledge on Black entrepreneurship.
The Fellowship supports a hybrid model that advances both individual scholarship and a shared national research agenda. Fellows contribute to the annual State of Black Entrepreneurship Report while simultaneously pursuing an independent research project aligned with one of the Fellowship’s priority research domains. The Fellowship is designed to generate rigorous, actionable, and influential research that informs entrepreneurs, investors, educators, ecosystem builders, foundations, corporations, and policymakers.
Research Priorities
Proposed projects should align with one of the following domains:
- Capital Formation & Investment Access: Examines how entrepreneurs secure and deploy financial capital, including equity, debt, grants, and alternative funding sources needed to launch, grow, and scale ventures.
- Venture Creation & Business Growth: Explores the formation, performance, and growth of businesses, with a focus on venture creation, innovation, resilience, and pathways to scale.
- Entrepreneurial Talent & Pathway Development: Investigates how entrepreneurial talent is identified, developed, and supported through education, training, mentorship, and experiential learning opportunities.
- Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Institutions & Policy: Analyzes how support organizations, networks, institutions, and public policies shape entrepreneurial outcomes and influence business success at the local, regional, and national levels.
Fellowship
- The Center seeks to award $10,000 fellowships to scholars conducting innovative research that expands understanding of Black entrepreneurship and contributes to the development of the annual State of Black Entrepreneurship Report. This is an approximately 12-month fellowship beginning in early 2027 and concluding with presentation of findings at the annual State of Black Entrepreneurship Symposium in Fall 2027.
- Fellows will participate in a series of workshops and collaborative research sessions designed to strengthen project design, facilitate knowledge exchange, and support development of the State of Black Entrepreneurship Report.
Eligibility
Applications are particularly encouraged from:
- Doctoral students
- Postdoctoral scholars
- Faculty researchers
- Think tank researchers
- Policy researchers
- Applied research professionals
Researchers from HBCUs are especially encouraged to apply.
Applicants should demonstrate:
- Strong research skills
- Interest in entrepreneurship and economic mobility
- A commitment to advancing knowledge related to Black entrepreneurship
- The ability to complete the proposed project and participate fully in Fellowship activities
Collaborative and interdisciplinary proposals are welcome.
Application
Applications must include:
- Curriculum Vitae (CV): Detail academic credentials, professional experience, research activities, and relevant publications.
- Personal Statement (Maximum 1 Page): Describe your interest in Black entrepreneurship research and how your proposed project aligns with the Fellowship’s mission.
- Research Proposal (Maximum 4 Pages)
- Supporting Documentation: Include letters of collaboration, data access agreements, or other supporting materials as applicable.
For more information, visit State of Black Entrepreneurship Fellows Program.
