I Corps Sites - Type I: I-CORPS SITE AT MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

Award ID: 1644739

This project, from Mississippi State University, establishes an I-Corps Site in the institution's Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach (CEO). NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Sites are NSF-funded entities established at universities whose purpose is to nurture and support multiple, local teams to transition their technology concepts into the marketplace. Sites provide infrastructure, advice, resources, networking opportunities, training and modest funding to enable groups to transition their work into the marketplace or into becoming I-Corps Team applicants. The Mississippi State CEO coordinates the efforts of the Office of Technology Management (OTM) and the E-Center to administer the I-Corps Site project. The goal is to recruit and manage thirty teams a year, with the objective of creating viable businesses based on university research. Mississippi State has combined their entrepreneurship center with outreach under an EDA University Center - creating the potential for better than average connections with regional businesses and recruiting representatives of those businesses to participate in the I-Corps Site activities. MS has already solidified some company connections and recruited an advisory board. There are clear goals for the Site and Mississippi State University has already started to translate research into businesses. Their existing entrepreneurship program is in line with I-Corps and this grant will help them scale-up those efforts. They have experience collaborating with the Southwest I-Corps Node and plans to continue that collaboration. They have a way to support teams that develop new ideas as well as an I-Corps-centric curriculum in place. They have a robust tracking/assessment plan for the program and the individual teams, an asset to the proposal and will help them to measure the impact of the program. The site has the potential to have high in on economically distressed and minority populations. 30% of this institution's entering freshman class and 16% of their faculty belong to minority groups. In addition there is a program that provides support for veterans starting a business. This is a well-structured and thought out project that contains all of the elements that are needed to support a successful I-Corps Site. It is clear from data they have provided that a Site at this institution would have a significant impact on the university and the region as well as the faculty and students at this institution.

NSF Program Director: Ruth Shuman