NSF I-Corps Program

The NSF I-Corps program, created by the National Science Foundation in 2011, is an immersive, entrepreneurial training program that facilitates the transformation of invention to impact. It uses experiential education to help researchers reduce the time it takes to translate promising ideas from the laboratory to widespread implementation. The program provides teams with up to $50,000 in grant funding to conduct customer discovery and learn about the commercial potential of their technology. The goal is to help scientists and engineers extend their focus beyond the university laboratory and accelerate the economic and societal benefits of NSF-funded research projects. It is designed to support the commercialization of "deep technologies" and prepare participants for further funding, such as SBIR/STTR grants.