The National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps program accelerates the economic and societal benefits of NSF-funded basic research projects that are ready to move toward commercialization.
I-Corps teams participate in a seven-week program that helps systematically identify and address knowledge gaps to understand the most appropriate path forward for their technology concept.
NSF provides each successful team with a $50,000 award which supports the team’s participation in the curriculum and their customer discovery work. Each team completes 100 interviews with stakeholders and customers to learn more about the potential market for their innovation.
The curriculum for D2P’s cohort programming is aligned with the NSF I-Corps program, and participating in the Innovation to Market or Igniter programs is great preparation for UW–Madison teams considering I-Corps. D2P’s Innovation and Commercialization Specialists are also available to join accepted NSF I-Corps teams in a mentoring capacity. We are also able to support teams pursuing I-Corps grants from other federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and others.
2021 NSF I-Corps Info Session
During the 2021 UW–Madison Innovate Week, D2P hosted a virtual learning session, which can be viewed here. Learn how the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps program can provide researchers with entrepreneurial education, mentoring and up to $50,000 in funding.