NSF I-Corps | UVM Innovations | The University of Vermont(title)

Welcome to the NSF Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub! We are taking innovation from the laboratory to the marketplace and launching new deep-tech ventures in the regions where those innovations are discovered.
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What is NSF I-Corps?

The U.S. National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) is an entrepreneurial training program for STEM researchers that facilitates the transformation of invention into impact. This immersive, seven-week experiential training program prepares scientists and engineers to extend their focus beyond the university laboratory — accelerating the economic and societal benefits of research projects ready to move toward commercialization.

How to Get Involved

The University of Vermont is a proud partner of the NSF Interior Northeast Innovation Corps Hub (IN I-Corps), aiming to support students, faculty, and researchers in accelerating their discoveries from lab to market. 

Through the IN I-Corps Hub, UVM students, faculty, and researchers have access to intellectual and entrepreneurial tools and resources across universities, including:

  • Free regional entrepreneurship courses
  • Access to the Hub's robust entrepreneurial network
  • Support in applying for NSF's I-Corps teams ($50,000 award)
  • Accelerate SBIR/STTR grant applications ($275,000+ award)

Regional Courses

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UVM students, faculty, and researchers can participate in free month-long, regional courses taught by experienced entrepreneurs in the IN I-Corps Hub.

I-Corps participants will assess their inventions' market potential through experiential learning using the customer discovery process. 

Learn to:

  • Evaluate a technology’s commercialization potential
  • Find and talk to potential customers and industry stakeholders
  • Identify the real problem(s) the customer needs solved
  • Develop an entrepreneurial mindset

View Upcoming Courses

Learn More

National Program

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Teams that successfully complete a regional course are eligible to apply for the NSF’s National Teams Program. Selected teams are awarded up to $50,000 to conduct 100+ customer discovery interviews during a seven-week course. Through this process, the teams learn how to evaluate the potential for translating their invention into a successful product or service.

Learn More

Impact

Impact

Since 2012 the NSF I-Corps program has had a considerable impact on bringing inventions to market and training an entrepreneurial workforce.

NSF's Impact Data

Success Stories

Verde Technologies

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2021 - Randall Headrick and Chad Miller

Biobe

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2022 - Bryn Loftness

Burlington Bio

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2022 - Rachael Floreani

Panic Mechanic

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2021 - Ellen and Ryan McGinnis

NeuroCool Technologies

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NeuroCool

2024 - Adam Sprouse Blum

Contact Us

Tina Thornton

Tina Thornton

Faculty Entrepreneurship Lead

Tina.Thornton@UVM.edu
A portrait of Waseya Lawton

Waseya Lawton

I-Corps Program Coordinator

Waseya.Lawton@UVM.edu

IN I-Corps News