NSF I-Corps

UW NSF I-Corps Site Program

Program Description

The Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) program is a program funded by the National Science Foundation that aims to accelerate academic research projects that are ready to move toward commercialization. Through training and mentorship program participants are able to test the value of their business idea by talking to potential customers. Those who do well in the program may apply for up to $2,500 of funding to continue testing their business hypotheses via customer discovery. This program is a great preparation for anyone looking to participate in business plan competitions, seeking gap funding, or to apply for further federal funding (I-Corps Teams grant, SBIR/STTR grants, etc.).

Who is it for?

Faculty, researchers, postdocs, students or staff members from an academic institution in the Pacific Northwest
Professionals with industry or startup experience who are looking to mentor the next generation of academic entrepreneurs

Register

Deadline: December 5, 2021

For teams and solopreneurs

Participants in this program must be ready to spend several hours per week working on their project over the 6 weeks of the program.

For mentors

Mentors who report the highest satisfaction from the program usually dedicate 2 hours per week over 6 weeks to the program and engage in a variety of activities (training, bootcamps, individual team mentoring, or pitching). Learn more about the mentor experience.

Timeline - five milestones

Milestone 1: Register and complete the first challenge

Teams are expected to complete the first challenge before they can proceed to the main program. The challenge includes completing a short training, and interviewing 3 customers in one week.

Deadline

Program registration: December 5, 2021
Beginning of challenge: January 4, 2022, 9-10am
End of challenge: January 10, 2022, 11:59pm

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Milestone 2: Attend initial training

The program starts with a series of workshops, to help teams learn the skills needed to test their business assumptions.

Dates

Program orientation: January 11, 2022, 9-10am for mentors; 10-11am for teams
Introduction to the Lean Startup Methodology: January 12, 2022, 1-4:30pm
Mastering Customer Discovery: January 12, 2022, 1-4pm

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Milestone 3: Participate in bootcamps

Teams participate in further training and weekly check-ins with industry mentors around specific topics. These bootcamps also provide an opportunity for participants and mentors to network and share tips.

Dates

For all teams: Tuesdays, January 18 to February 8, 2022, 9-11am
Additional dates for biomedical teams: Thursdays, January 20 to February 10, 2022, 2-4pm

Learn More