The University of Minnesota's Medical Devices Center said on Thursday it will double the number of participants next year in its innovation fellows program due to a $280,000 donation.

The donation will allow the year-long program to expand to eight participants, the university said. The program trains mid-career professionals on medical device product development.

The donation was from the Maslowski Family Trust, a group that supports medical device research and technology, as well as professional training and education.

The trust was inspired by the late Frank and Eleanor Maslowski, who grew up in North Minneapolis. The couple was passionate about the medical device industry and was one of the early investors in Medtronic.