Program Overview

Introduction to NSF I-Corps

The National Science Foundation designated LSU an Innovation Corps (I-Corps) site in January 2016. The goal of the program is to educate faculty, students, and the community on entrepreneurial principles, helping them answer important commercialization questions and identify industry partners and potential licensees.

Our Mission

Our mission is to connect the academic and industrial worlds, helping talented individuals achieve real-world impact. We offer support, guidance, and financial opportunities to enable individuals and teams to transition their innovations from the research stage to market success.

Program Benefits

• Improved chance of commercial success
• Reduced time to take technology from the drawing board to market
• Increased entrepreneurial skills
• Identification of customers and weaknesses in business model in weeks, rather than months or years
• Increased likelihood of attracting follow-on funding, such as a federal grant to validate and commercialize your invention

Key Components of NSF I-Corps

1. The Team

Teams at the National level usually consist of an Entrepreneurial Lead, a Technical Lead (Principal Investigator), and a Mentor.

• The Entrepreneurial Lead (EL) can be a post-doctoral scholar, graduate student, or other personnel with relevant knowledge of the technology and a strong commitment to exploring its commercial potential.
• The Technical Lead (TL) is typically a faculty member, senior research scientist, or postdoctoral scholar with technical expertise in the innovation the I-Corps team is assessing for commercial viability. The Technical Lead also serves as the proposal Principal Investigator (PI).
• The I-Corps Teams Mentor (IM) is someone who can guide the team through the I-Corps process and help them navigate the business ecosystem in the relevant application areas.

2. Curriculum

The NSF I-Corps curriculum has been designed to emphasize customer discovery, business models, and value propositions. The course emphasizes:

• Training an entrepreneurial workforce
• Translating technologies
• Enabling positive economic impact
• Nurturing an innovation ecosystem

3. Customer Discovery

The essence of the program is gaining insights directly from potential customers through interviews and feedback, a vital step in comprehending market demands.

Upcoming Cohorts

• September 4: Intro to the NSF I-Corps Teams Program
• September 23 October 21: SBIR Launch Building entrepreneurial skills and market strategies for early-stage innovators
• October 2: Intro to the NSF I-Corps Teams Program
• November 6: Intro to the NSF I-Corps Teams Program

Applications

A short application is required for each program, evaluated on the following criteria:

• Team and Commitment
• Intellectual Property Strength
• Technology Strength
• Commercial Potential & Applications
• Fit with I-Corps Sites

Follow-On Resources

After completion of the program, several follow-on opportunities are available, including:

• NSF I-Corps Teams program, an intensive six-week National Science Foundation training with $50,000 grant
• LSU Leveraging Innovation for Technology Transfer Program, LIFT2, prototyping grant of up to $50,000
• LSU Innovation Park incubator
• LSU Innovation business consultants' help applying for seed funding through the federal Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology transfer programs