Rothberg Build Fund

Rothberg Build Fund (3× / year)

Supports Yale students building healthcare and medtech innovations into early validated prototypes.

The Rothberg Build Fund is a small-grant programme administered by Yale Ventures that awards up to $3,000 to enrolled Yale students developing novel healthcare solutions. The fund targets projects in digital health, artificial intelligence, diagnostics, and medical technology, and is intended to support the building phase of an innovation — funding activities that execute concrete development milestones rather than preliminary ideation. Applications are submitted via a dedicated online form that covers the innovation concept and team composition.

Eligibility is strictly limited to currently enrolled Yale students; faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and external applicants are not eligible. Three funding cycles run each academic year, with application deadlines on November 5, February 5, and May 5. There is no stated minimum team size and individual students may apply, though team composition is assessed as part of the review. Awards are made in amounts up to $3,000 per recipient; the total number of awards per cycle and the overall pool size are not published.

The Rothberg Build Fund sits alongside a related but distinct competition, the Rothberg Catalyzer Prize, which offers $25,000 to student-led ventures addressing clinical needs and is administered separately through Startup Yale. Applicants seeking larger, milestone-driven capital should consider sequencing Build Fund support first to establish proof-of-concept before entering the Catalyzer competition. With three annual cycles and rolling eligibility for currently enrolled students, the programme provides multiple entry points across the academic year, making the November 5 deadline the earliest opportunity for students beginning projects at the start of a new academic year.