Regional Programs
Regional Entrepreneurial Training Programs are held at each partner institution and are open to students, faculty, and staff at partner institutions or other institutions of higher education in the region, as well as adults within the community at large. These programs are designed to help you test your start-up idea and find potential customers all while exploring valid models you could use to broaden the impact of your work.
Regional Program Benefits
Immersive short programs designed to provide innovators with the tools and resources they need to evaluate an idea
Interactive sessions
Required instructor office hours
Access to mentors
Access to Research Libraries on campus
20 customer discovery interviews
Opportunity for non-dilutive microgrant funding
A pathway for further mentorship and guidance through the National I-Corps program where teams receive an additional $50,000 funding. Moreover, this program enables you to receive NSF lineage and greatly improve your chances to receive future SBIR and STTR grant funding.
Click to find a Regional Cohort to participate in.
Eligibility Criteria:
-Applicants must have a technology development connection to an institution of higher education as well as submit their application from an institution of higher education.
-Applicants who have had an active NSF research award in the last five years in a relevant research area –– from any field of science or engineering are eligible to apply to the national I-CORPS program.
-Researchers who have not received a research award from NSF may earn eligibility to the national I-CORPS program by first participating in a regional I-Corps program and receiving a letter of recommendation following completion of the program.
Team Composition:
Each team must consist of:
Technical Lead (PI): An individual with deep technical expertise in innovation.
Entrepreneurial Lead: A person with a commitment to investigate the commercial potential of the technology.
Industry Mentor: An experienced entrepreneur or business leader who can provide mentorship.
Application Steps:
Complete an Executive Summary: Provide a concise overview of your project by filling out the NSF I-CORPS Teams Executive Summary Form.
Engage with NSF: After submission, NSF I-CORPS staff will schedule an interview to discuss your project and assess readiness for the national program.
Select a Cohort: Upon a successful interview, choose an appropriate cohort that aligns with your team's availability.
Submit a Formal Proposal: Following cohort selection, submit a detailed proposal as per NSF guidelines.
Program Commitments:
Customer Discovery: Teams are expected to conduct at least 100 interviews with potential customers over the seven-week program to validate market needs.
Session Participation: Full attendance is required for all program sessions, including kick-off meetings, webinars, and closing events.
Regional Opportunities:
Participating in a regional I-CORPS program can be a beneficial precursor to the national program, offering localized training and support. [link to regional cohort page]
For comprehensive details on the application process, eligibility, and upcoming events, visit the official NSF I-CORPS website or contact Dr. Mark Hilton [link to his email].
To gain further insights into the program, you might find this recorded webinar helpful: