The Federal Lab Education Accelerator (FLEX) program

What is FLEX?

The Federal Lab Education Accelerator (FLEX) is a pilot program of the FLC Mid-Atlantic Region that strengthens connections between federal laboratories, academic institutions, and entrepreneurs to support the commercialization of federally developed technologies. FLEX partners federal labs with MBA and business programs, integrating select licensable technologies into entrepreneurship-focused coursework where students conduct real-world market assessments and commercialization analyses.

Through this collaboration, students gain hands-on experience evaluating innovative federal technologies, while participating laboratories receive valuable market insights and business landscape assessments that can help advance technology transfer efforts. Participation is voluntary, non-compensated, and free of charge for both federal labs and academic institutions.

FLEX partnerships are non-exclusive, allowing both federal laboratories and academic institutions to pursue additional collaborations within or outside the program. By fostering long-term relationships between academia and federal labs, FLEX promotes innovation, experiential learning, and the successful transition of federally developed technologies into the marketplace.

How do I get involved?

The program operates on semester cycles in the spring and fall. Review the FLEX Project Guidelines here.

For more information on the program, future cycles, how your lab or university can get involved, or for questions coming from current participants, please direct inquiries to [email protected]. 

To help promote this program, download the FLEX brochure and share it with your colleagues.