Organization:National Science Foundation I-Corps
Contents
Overview
Launched in October 2011, the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (NSF I-Corps) program prepares scientists and engineers to extend NSF funded laboratory research projects into the commercial world. Knowledge from NSF-supported basic research can have marketable impact, and thus NSF I-Corps promotes the translation of technologies that will have direct benefits for the economy and society. Importantly, I-Corps is a public-private partnership program, which teaches grantees to recognize valuable product opportunities that can arise from academic research. A targeted curriculum that provides guidance from established entrepreneurs allows viable entrepreneurship training to student participants.
NSF I-Corps aims to strengthen the innovation ecosystem at the local and national levels by incorporating programs such as the I-Corps Teams, Nodes, and Sites. A NSF supported researcher or institution can apply to either of these programs to help fund their innovative research ideas to the market place. Significantly, NSF I-Corps prepares the participants to successfully apply for the NSF Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
Purpose
The primary goal of NSF I-Corps is to promote entrepreneurship from NSF-funded research leading to the commercialization of novel technology. Entrepreneurship is approached through the emphasis of customer and business development. I-Corps will be the vehicle to foster start-ups founded by the participants, making successful I-Corps projects prepared for business formation. Prominently, I-Corps programs bridge the NSF Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. When applicable, additional resources from the private sector are sought by NSF in the form of partnerships and finance.
To achieve its purpose, NSF I-Corps has three distinct components: Teams, Nodes, and Sites. I-Corps Teams are comprised of the principal investigator(s) (PI), an entrepreneurial lead (EL) (i.e. student or postdoc), and business mentor. I-Corps Nodes are hubs (i.e. academic institution) for education, infrastructure, and research that aid academic scientists and engineers in innovation. Moreover, I-Corps Nodes deliver the I-Corps Curriculum to I-Corps Teams. Finally, I-Corps Sites are academic institutions that strengthen local innovation by aiding multiple local teams for their technology transition. Depending on position stance as described, NSF I-Corps funding will be allocated to successful applicants of Teams, Nodes, or Sites to initiate the purpose of developing an innovation ecosystem.
Distinct Differences From Other Offerings
The NSF I-Corps program is unique in the following ways:
1) Entrepreneurial goal: aimed to commercialize a NSF funded research technology
2) NSF I-Corps Team maximum funding is $50,000 for 6 months (research lab on campus can apply for this)
3) NSF I-Corps Nodes and Sites funding is up to $1.5 million (academic institutions can apply as a Node or Site)
4) Feeds into successfully applying for an SBIR/STTR
5) Fosters entrepreneurship with additional resources to participants (i.e. workshops, business mentors, etc.). NSF I-Corps Team participants are provided the Lean LaunchPad class taught by Steve Blank.
6) Promotes an innovation ecosystem for both students and academic institutions
Impact Achieved For Students and Campus
NSF I-Corps has helped many students and campuses develop entrepreneurial pursuits with laboratory research technologies.
Below are 3 presentations from successful I-Corps Teams at Rochester Institute of Technology, Carnegie-Mellon University, and University of Pennsylvania.
1) Akara Solutions: Flexible, Low Cost Cooling Technology for LED Lighting , Principal Investigator: Satish Kandlikar Rochester Institute of Technology
2) Semiconductor-Based Hydrogen and Hydrocarbon Sensors
Principal Investigator: Lisa Porter Carnegie-Mellon University
