The Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund (MEIF), administered by the Maryland Department of Commerce, offers a state match to private funds raised in support of endowed chairs at Maryland's higher education institutions. BENEFIT
Under the fund, $8.5 million will be appropriated by the Governor annually. Investment earnings on the endowments will be expended to further basic and applied research in scientific and technical fields of study as specified by the bill and as determined by the
Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund Authority.
ELIGIBILITY
Nonprofit institutions of higher education in Maryland may apply for this state funding to establish research endowments and, upon securing matching private donations, MEIF funds may be distributed to the endowments.
APPLY
All applications must be submitted by email in a single PDF document to sarah.sheppard1@maryland.gov by 5:00 p.m. on June 1, 2025.
For more information about MEIF, contact:
Maryland Department of Commerce
443-618-8593
RESOURCES
ANNOUNCEMENTS
To date, the Program has awarded 94 awards of more than $88 million in funding to leverage more than $96 million in private donations to seventeen different institutions.
In FY2025, the Program made 9 awards totaling $8,750,000, to five different institutions in the first round. FY2025 recipients included:
- Bowie State University - $500,000
- Johns Hopkins University - $3,250,000
- University of Maryland, Baltimore - $2,000,000
- University of Maryland, College Park - $2,000,000
- Washington College - $1,000,000
In FY2024, the Program made 7 awards totaling $7,500,000, to three different institutions. The first round of awards were made in June 2023, with an additional award made in November 2023. FY2024 recipients included:
- Johns Hopkins University - $3,750,000
- Loyola University Maryland - $1,000,000
- University of Maryland, Baltimore - $2,750,000
In FY2023 the program made 9 awards totaling $8,282,825 to eight different institutions. The
awards were made in July 2022. FY2023 recipients included:
- Hood College - $500,000
- Johns Hopkins University - $1,800,000
- Morgan State University - $1,000,000
- Mount St. Mary's University - $200,000
- Notre Dame of Maryland University - $1,500,000
- University of Maryland, Baltimore - $500,000
- University of Maryland, College Park - $1,000,000
- Washington College - $1,782,825
In FY2022 the program made 14 awards totaling $13,600,000 to nine different institutions. The
first round of awards were made in August 2021, with
additional awards made in February 2022. FY2022 recipients included:
- Bowie State University - $500,000
- Goucher College - $1,000,000
- Hood College - $1,510,000
- Johns Hopkins University - $2,950,000
- Morgan State University - $3,000,000
- University of Maryland, Baltimore - $1,250,000
- University of Maryland Baltimore County - $1,000,000
- University of Maryland, College Park - $1,140,000
- Washington College - $1,250,000
In FY2021 the program made 8 awards totaling $7,550,000 to seven different institutions. The
first round of awards were made in August 2020, with
additional awards made in December 2020. FY2021 recipients included:
- Bowie State University - $500,000
- Goucher College - $1,000,000
- Hood College - $1,000,000
- Johns Hopkins University - $900,000
- University of Maryland, Baltimore - $2,275,000
- Maryland Institute College of Art - $500,000
- University of Maryland Baltimore County - $900,000
In FY2020 the program made 8 awards totaling $8,500,000 to six different institutions. The
first round of awards were made in June 2019, with
additional awards made in November 2019. FY2020 recipients included:
- Johns Hopkins University - $1,200,000
- University of Maryland, Baltimore - $1,143,500
- University of Maryland, College Park - $2,256,500
- University of Maryland, Eastern Shore - $2,000,000
- Loyola University Maryland - $500,000
- Washington College - $1.0 million
In FY2019 the program made 10 awards totaling $9,500,000 to eight different institutions. The
first round of awards were made in July 2018, with
additional awards made in January 2019. FY2019 recipients included:
- Hood College - $1.0 million
- Johns Hopkins University - $800,000
- Maryland Institute College of Art - $500,000
- Mount St. Mary’s University - $1.0 million
- Towson University - $500,000
- University of Maryland, Baltimore - $2,986,000
- University of Maryland, College Park - $1,714,000
- Washington College - $1.0 million
In FY2018, the Program made 8 awards totaling $8,020,000, to four different institutions. The first round of awards were made in June 2017, with additional awards made in November 2017. FY2018 recipients included:
- College of Southern Maryland - $500,000
- Johns Hopkins University - $3,000,000
- University of Maryland, Baltimore - $1,420,000
- University of Maryland, College Park - $3,100,000
In FY2017, the Program made 9 awards totaling $8,499,500, to six different institutions. The first round of awards were made in June 2016, with additional awards made in December 2016. FY2017 recipients included:
- Hood College - $944,000
- Johns Hopkins University - $1,375,000
- Stevenson University - $1,180,000 (funds were returned)
- University of Maryland, Baltimore - $1,944,000
- University of Maryland, College Park - $2,112,500
- Washington College - $944,000
In FY2016, the Program made 9 awards totaling $8,318,750, to five different institutions. The first round of awards were made in June 2015, with additional awards made in November 2015. FY2016 recipients included:
- Johns Hopkins University - $2,106,250
- Morgan State University - $1,000,000 (cancelled)
- University of Maryland, Baltimore - $2,106,250
- University of Maryland, College Park - $2,106,250
- Washington College - $1,000,000
