UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s virtual NSF I-Corps Short Course is accepting applications for its September/October cohort. The no-cost virtual program helps researchers test a startup idea through customer discovery and lean startup methodology. The cohort will begin on Sept. 29 and runs through Oct. 13.
Apply for the virtual short course by Sept. 15.
The NSF (National Science Foundation) I-Corps program uses experiential education to help researchers gain valuable insight into entrepreneurship, starting a business or industry requirements and challenges. Participants learn valuable skills in connecting with customers, asking the right questions, and how to find partners to help get startup ideas off the ground. Through I-Corps training, researchers can reduce the time it takes to translate a promising idea from the laboratory to the marketplace.
The virtual short course will expose participants to key stakeholders and funding resources in the entrepreneurship community, increase chances of receiving an SBIR/STTR award, and help put participants in an excellent position to apply for the National NSF I-Corps Program.
Penn State environmental engineering master’s students Domenic Contrino and Gabrielle Giampietro participated in the summer 2023 NSF I-Corps short course program to learn what problems companies are facing and what value their research could bring to the table. They are researching how to make the carbon electrode components of batteries more efficient, affordable and sustainable.
“If you are interested in applied research and getting into industry, these customer interviews through I-Corps are where you’ll gain so much more of your background in industry,” Contrino said. “In the past three weeks, I’ve learned more about what people actually care about just from doing the I-Corps program and doing these interviews. You can only read so much on the internet, and getting on the phone with someone who is working in the industry that your research falls under is so valuable.”
Read more about Contrino and Giampietro’s NSF I-Corps experience.
Penn State teams are also welcome to apply to other regional short course offerings from the broader Mid-Atlantic region. Teams can contact the Penn State NSF I-Corps Program Manager, Derek Gross, for assistance.
Learn more about NSF I-Corps at Penn State.
About NSF I-Corps
Penn State University is part of the NSF I-Corps Mid-Atlantic Hub, a network of universities, NSF-funded researchers, established entrepreneurs, local and regional entrepreneurial communities, and other federal agencies. Hubs work collaboratively to build and sustain a diverse and inclusive innovation ecosystem throughout the United States.