Apply Now: 2025 New Works Incubator
Applications are now being accepted for the University of Maryland’s Immersive Media Design (IMD) New Works Incubator.
The New Works Incubator is a free, nine-week summer program that invites University of Maryland students to explore the design and development of immersive media experiences. Students who complete their incubator projects will be invited to present their work at this year’s NextNOW Fest on September 11 and 12, 2025.
Students with all levels of experience are encouraged to apply. Whether you are working with a team on an existing project or you are a solo creator looking to explore new possibilities, the incubator offers access to IMD’s labs and equipment, workshops and technical support and staff mentorship.
Students have the opportunity to work on projects ranging from augmented or virtual reality experiences; immersive music, theater or dance performances; interactive projection design and more!
Submit an Application
Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis through Friday, May 16, 2025. Space is limited so applicants are encouraged to submit their proposals as early as possible. All applicants will be notified of their acceptance in the New Works Incubator by May 19, 2025.
Program Overview
Two weeks of workshops covering a range of immersive media topics including experience design, VR/AR design and development, 3D modeling and printing, motion capture and more!
The workshops are designed to support a range of skill levels and experience from students without previous immersive media experience to those in the IMD major.
Students will develop and refine project ideas through peer collaboration and mentor feedback. Projects may be brand new or based on pre-existing projects started in classes or other programs.
Students will build and share a prototype of their project for feedback from mentors and peers. Prototypes can test a specific aspect of a project like an animation sequence or interaction mechanic or they might test larger aspects of a project like the narrative journey.
The incubator culminates with Demo Day on August 2, 2025. Invited guests and staff from The Clarice Performing Arts Center will join students and mentors to experience the projects created over the course of the incubator.
Completed incubator projects will have the opportunity to be featured at NextNOW Fest in September, 2025. Projects will be presented at The Clarice Smith Performing Art Center and the IMD Brendan Iribe Center Lab on September 11 and 12, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! The program is open to all UMD students.
Yes! Please include all students that will be a part of the team on your application.
Yes! Whether you want to expand on a project you started previously or explore a new idea, the New Works Incubator is set up to support your process as a creator. Whether your goal is to experiment with a new software platform or polish a pre-existing project for public presentation, the Incubator will give you the space and structure to make it happen.
The program is free to attend.
Yes. There will be a limited amount of funds available to pay for project materials and equipment for works that will be presented as part of NextNOW Fest.
Activities will take place in the IMD labs and classrooms in A.V. Williams.
For additional questions about the program, please contact Jonathan David Martin, New Works Incubator Program Manager at martinjd@umd.edu.