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The UNY I-Corps Node is becoming the…
Check out our new website for new regional course offerings
Attend an I-Corps Regional Course
NSF I-Corps Regional Courses are for university researchers and early-stage startup founders who are interested in exploring the market potential of their work and learning entrepreneurial skills.In the I-Corps regional course, STEM researchers and aspiring entrepreneurs “get out of their comfort zone” and learn from potential customers. The goal is to determine if they are solving a real-world problem with a sizable market opportunity. In addition to entrepreneurial training, this program helps researchers identify new ways to apply their research to solve real-life challenges.
How it works
The virtual regional course is 4.5 weeks long. It combines self-directed online learning activities, with six Zoom-based class meetings (1-2 hours long), and two 1:1 instructor check ins (15-20 minutes). Teams of 1-3 people can apply. Eight to ten teams are selected per class. Teams aim to conduct 30 customer discovery interviews.
During the first two weeks, teams learn how to:
- Identify their target customer segments
- Develop hypotheses about the value proposition they offer each customer segment
- Find and effectively interview potential customers about their problems/needs
Over the following two and a half weeks, teams conduct 30 customer discovery interviews by video or phone conference, and join two check in calls with instructors to share progress and receive coaching.
In the final class, teams present their findings, receive more coaching, learn about other local entrepreneurship programs, and receive information about applying for the national I-Corps Teams program, and SBIR/STTR grants.
Since 2017, we led:
117
regional courses at
20
different universities to over
912
teams
Recent Courses
NCATS at UofR
Oct – Nov 2022
WVU
Oct 7 – Nov 9, 2022
SUNY Binghamton
Sep 20 – Oct 20, 2022
Cornell
Sep 2 – Oct 7, 2022
UVM
Aug. 8 – Sep. 8, 2022
GEM Fellowship
July 11 – August 12, 2022
Biotech
May 31 – June 22, 2022
ARPA-E
May 9 – May 30, 2022
WVU
April 18 – May 18, 2022
SUNY Binghamton
March 22 – April 20, 2022
Cornell
Feb. 28 – March 31, 2022
U of Rochester
Feb. 7 – March 9, 2022
SUNY Binghamton
Jan. 25 – Feb. 24, 2022
Weill Cornell
Dec 22, 2021 – Jan 26, 2022
Ag-Corps (Cornell)
Dec. 13, 2021 – Jan. 14 – 2022
RIT
Oct. 22 – Nov. 22, 2021
U of Rochester
Oct. 11 – Nov. 10, 2021
SUNY Binghamton
Sept. 21 – Oct. 21, 2021
WVU
Sept. 20 – Oct. 20, 2021
Cornell
Sept. 3 – Oct. 6, 2021
GEM Fellows
July 31 – Aug 28, 2021
SUNY Buffalo
July 2 – August 4, 2021
WVU
May 28 – June 30, 2021
Cornell
May 28 – June 30, 2021