The University will host a free, virtual U.S. National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (NSF I-Corps) regional course this fall 2024, from Aug. 30 to Oct. 2. .
The program is for university-based science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) researchers and early-stage startup founders who are interested in exploring the market potential of their work and learning entrepreneurial skills. Participants will learn to apply discovery methodology to help translate technology innovation from the lab into a successful product and/or service through a better understanding of how to achieve product-market fit.
The monthlong virtual course is offered through the University as a partner in the , funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), led by Cornell University, with other collaborators, including Dartmouth College, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Buffalo, University of Pittsburgh, University of Rochester, University of Vermont and West Virginia University. The hub is part of the , connecting researchers, entrepreneurial communities and federal agencies to help commercialize research.
This virtual course combines self-directed online learning activities, with six Zoom-based class meetings (one to two hours long) and one-on-one instructor check-ins. The course is technology-agnostic, and any sufficiently developed (i.e., beyond ideation) tech innovation team is welcome to apply.
In the first half of the course, teams learn how to identify target customer segments, develop hypotheses about the value proposition offered to each customer segment and effectively interview potential customers about their problems/needs. In the second half of the course, teams will conduct customer discovery and join personalized calls with instructors to share progress and receive coaching. In the final class, teams present their findings, receive additional coaching, learn about other local entrepreneurship programs and receive information about applying for the national I-Corps Teams program and Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer grants.
Successful applicants should have an early-state technology innovation, with either a prototype or some form of scientific validation. Teams of one to three people may apply. All team members are required to attend and participate fully in every course session and complete all coursework to be considered for NSF lineage and a nomination for the national I-Corps Team.
While all applicants are welcome, preference is given to those with University-affiliated technology (i.e., faculty working with the Office of Technology Transfer), as well as post-docs, graduate students and undergraduate students who are commercializing research. Applications are also encouraged from researchers and early-stage founders engaged with other campuses as well as community incubators and accelerator programs.
Course Schedule
The programming is being co-led by Linda Dickerson Hartsock, strategic initiatives advisor, Â鶹ƵµÀUniversity Libraries, who was founding director of the Blackstone LaunchPad; Jeff Fuchsberg, director, Â鶹ƵµÀCenter for Advanced Systems and Engineering (CASE); and Cristiano Bellavitis, assistant professor of entrepreneurship at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. Both Hartsock and Fuchsberg led the Â鶹ƵµÀTech Garden before joining the University. NSF certified instructors will be teaching the course modules.
Read more about Â鶹ƵµÀUniversity’s participation in the new NSF I-Corps Interior Northeast Region Hub (IN I-Corps) Consortium and its $15 million STEM innovation program. The new initiative aims to create a cohesive innovation ecosystem through inclusive models of education and workforce training designed to catalyze innovation in economically underserved areas.
Partners in the University’s NSF I-Corps programming are resource providers across campus, including the Office of Research, Office of Technology Transfer, Â鶹ƵµÀUniversity Libraries, the College of Law’s Innovation Law Center, the College of Engineering and Computer Science and its Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering, and the Whitman School of Management.
For more information about the upcoming NSF I-Corps course, contact Linda Dickerson Hartsock, Ldhart01@syr.edu; Jeff Fuchsberg, Jrfuchsb@syr.edu; or Cristiano Bellavitis, crbellav@syr.edu.
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