Introducing the
Future City Fellowship

The Future City Fellowship is an opportunity for undergraduate students to take part in DiscoverE’s Future City design challenges — allowing students across various disciplines, from engineering and communications to political science and education, to work together to creatively design the city of the future.

The fellowship offers a 6-month, multidisciplinary, project-based experience in which teams of students will research, design, model, and present a 30-year continuous improvement plan for a nearby partner city — using real issues and opportunities in that community to guide their decision making. Their plans must also incorporate and adhere to UL safety standards, using learnings and guidance from the ULRI Standards Academy platform.

A successful fellowship team requires:

• A college or university with a group of five undergraduate students across majors excited for this challenge and a faculty advisor to support them
• A nearby city representative to partner on the project
• An industry sponsor(s) to provide content expertise, funding, and mentorship to the fellows and faculty
• An optional corporate partner interested in supporting the team’s innovation in that related industry

Together, the university fellows will develop continuous improvement plans focused on various themes, such as electrification, for their partner city at 10-, 20-, and 30-year timestamps.

For example, in the fellowship’s pilot year, the student team will come from Campbell University in North Carolina, in partnership with the City of Raleigh, supported by a sponsorship and corporate partnership with ULRI’s Office of Research Experiences & Education. Their challenge? Create a 30-year continuous improvement plan in 10-year increments focused on the future of electrification in Raleigh by investigating the issue of electrifying a city sustainably while balancing government requirements, policies, technical needs, and social considerations.

From March to August, fellows will work with local and national experts in these industries — gaining an insider’s look into government, business, and innovation as they explore the complexities of issues like electrification on infrastructure and communities, city budgets and policies, safety, and entrepreneurship and development.

Fellows will be invited to present their designs and models to local and national leaders via presentations to their host city’s leadership and at a ULRI showcase.

UL Research Institutes will serve as the program’s founding sponsor and corporate partner.

Starting in 2026, other organizations interested in sponsoring and/or partnering with a team will:

• Serve as the primary industry point of contact for fellows and university partners
• Provide fellows with career support and options within the organization
• Expand fellows’ professional skills by communicating about networking, work culture, and more
• Help recruit fellows for further internships or job opportunities
• Attend events throughout the 6-month fellowship and provide industry-appropriate support, reviews, and feedback on plans

Ready for the challenge? 

Reach out to Discover Engineering to learn more