Teams of aspiring entrepreneurs from 36 graduate schools around the country converged on Rice University in Houston last weekend to compete for more than $300,000 in cash and business services to get their companies off the ground.

To win the prizes, including a grand prize of $100,000 in cash, the budding business owners had to present their firms to more than 160 venture capitalists, investors and business executives.

Among the graduate students in the business plan contest hosted by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, the top prize went to ResuRX Pharmaceuticals, formed by students at Johns Hopkins University. The company looks for new uses for existing drugs to lower the cost and time it takes to come up with new medicines.

Three students from Southern Methodist University in Dallas also participated, pitching Follow My Band Inc. (www.followmy band.com). The Web site, which officially went live Saturday, helps music fans track upcoming concerts and other news about their favorite performers.

The SMU students – John Cole, Jennifer McNabb and Rick Collins – won first place and $6,000 at a business plan competition at their school in February.

The full list of winners from the Rice event is available at www.al liance.rice.edu.