University of Wisconsin-Madison I-Corps
University of Wisconsin-Madison I-Corps
February 27 - April 3
Free
What is NSF I-Corps?
The NSF Innovation Corps, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is a program that helps researchers quickly evaluate the commercial potential of a scientific discovery or technology that could lead to a path for startup success.
Is I-Corps for Me?
If you’re a UW–Madison faculty member, staff researcher, postdoctoral researcher, graduate student, or undergraduate student with a STEM-based discovery or technology and you want to explore possible pathways to entrepreneurship, the UW-Madison I-Corps program is for you! Attending a learning session can help you decide if the NSF I-Corps program is right for you. Past I-Corps participants will be on hand to answer questions and Bonnie Bachman, Director of the Technology Entrepreneurship Office (TEO), will provide an overview of the local, regional and national I-Corps programs. UW-Madison is one of the 16 universities that comprise the NSF I-Corps Great Lakes Region Hub. TEO is the official NSF Office for the UW-Madison I-Corps Program and the Gateway for all I-Corps activities. Please contact us regarding finding a mentor, training courses, application process, follow on funding, and anything related to I-Corps.
Course Benefits
- Become eligible for the NSF I-Corps National Teams program and $50,000 grant for qualifying technologies and teams (only deep-tech, university-based teams who complete at least 20-30 customer discovery interviews).
- Upon completion of the workshop and the customer discovery interviews, you and/or your team may be eligible for for a mini-grant of up to $1,000. Funds may reimbursed customer discovery interview travel expenses.
- Prepare for applying to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
- Gain valuable market insight to inform the next steps in your research and/or development.
- Develop network connections and receive mentoring from experienced industry experts and entrepreneurs
- Develop the entrepreneurial mindset and toolset needed for a career in academia, industry, startups, or government
Spring Cohort Schedule
All events are held virtually.
- February 27 (4:45-7:00 pm CT) Workshop Orientation
- March 6 (4:45-7:00 pm CT) Value Proposition Canvas
- March 13 (4:45-7:00 pm CT) Hypothesis Testing and Interviewing
- March 20 (4:45-7:00 pm CT) Ecosystem Mapping
- March 27 (5:00-6:00 pm CT) Q&A Session (Optional)
- April 3 (4:45-7:30 pm CT) Presentations Session
Summer Cohort Schedule
All events are held virtually.
- June 19 (4:45-7:00 pm CT)
- June 26 (4:45-7:00 pm CT)
- July 3 (4:45-7:00 pm CT)
- July 10 (4:45-7:00 pm CT)
- July 17 – Catch up week
- July 24 (4:45-7:30 pm CT)
Note: I-Corps workshops will require a time commitment of approximately four-six hours/week, on average. This includes attending all required sessions, a minimum of four coaching sessions with an assigned team mentor, and a minimum of 20 customer discovery interviews (planning, scheduling, conducting interviews, and documenting the results to be shared with instructors and mentors).