The I-Corps program’s benefits go beyond creating a business plan or an NSF proposal. Participants gain practical experience in customer discovery that enable the team to assess the commercial potential of their innovation and pave the way for successful product and/or service translation.
NSF I-Corps trains researchers to translate their technology and transform their groundbreaking research into market-ready innovations. This helps participants identify the market opportunity and the value they need to bring to the target customer as they develop a viable product or service.
Participants gain industry-relevant and entrepreneurial skills that are highly applicable to advance innovations in academic or industry settings.
I-Corps training is essential preparation before seeking funding from programs such as university translational funds, federal SBIR/STTR grants, or private investment. Listening to stakeholders, building and sustaining relationships, understanding the problem-solution dynamic, and delivering solutions that meet unmet needs—these principles are central to research funding success as well.
