Innovation Corps Teams (I-CorpsTM* Teams) Program

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is seeking to develop its Innovation Corps Teams Program (I-Corps Teams) aimed at propelling scientific discoveries towards beneficial technological development. Established in 2011, the NSF I-Corps Program aims to transfer fundamental research into the commercial sphere, promote collaborations between academia and industry, and offer NSF-funded individuals practical training in innovation and entrepreneurship.

The program accomplishes these objectives by providing immersive customer and industry discovery experiences and industry process investigations. This approach allows for the rapid evaluation of the commercial potential of an invention.

The program specifically focuses on supporting the development and commercialization of "deep technologies", which are essentially advanced scientific and engineering breakthroughs. This program offer solutions to skill and knowledge deficits that exist in the transition from basic research into deep technology ventures.

The I-Corps Teams program seeks to provide additional support to NSF-funded researchers through entrepreneurial education, mentoring, and funding. The objective is to expedite the transition of fundamental research into innovative products and services that can potentially draw additional third-party funding.

The outcomes from the I-Corps Team projects include a clear path forward determined from a business model assessment, significant first-hand evidence supporting or disputing product-market compatibility, identification of customer segments and corresponding value propositions, and a technology demonstration narrative for potential partners.

For those interested in learning more about this program, monthly webinars will be held. More details will be available on the I-Corps Teams website.