NSF I-Corps Hub: Northeast Region

Award ID: 2048602

The broader impact of this I-Corps Hubs project is the development of a regional network of academic, industrial and government partnerships that will grow the nations capacity to transform scientific discoveries into tangible societal benefits. The Hub, located in the heart of the Northeast region of the U.S., will leverage its proximity to deep technology industries including pharmaceuticals, nanotechnology, chemistry, energy, and photonics. Serving as a catalyst to democratize access to opportunities through educational and training programs, the Hub will translate laboratory discoveries generated at the Principal, Partner, and Affiliate institutions to spur formation of new commercial ventures, leveraging the significant volume of federal research dollars already invested in this region. Built on robust industrial and government partnerships, the Hub has a proven track record of successful collaborations and entrepreneurial activities including previous NSF I-Corps Sites and industry-funded research collaborations. Through a demonstrated commitment, the Hub will contribute to Americas future prosperity and global competitiveness by training the next generation of innovators from all backgrounds. Ultimately, the Hub will contribute to the growth of Americas technology-driven economy by accelerating the translation of academic discoveries into the marketplace. This I-Corps Hub project is based on the development of a Northeast regional network that will educate, guide, mentor, and support innovators across all participating institutions, and promote the translation of fundamental scientific and engineering discoveries into tangible products through the creation of new commercial ventures. This vision will be realized by leveraging the training techniques from the I-Corps program to create a comprehensive ecosystem that supports innovators through the entire ideation and technology venture lifecycle. Training and mentoring will focus on empowering academic researchers via I-Corps programming geared towards developing critical thinking around deep-tech commercialization, customer discovery, and impact creation. Additional programming, specifically geared toward faculty members, will seek to create lasting impact by continuing to leverage academic discoveries to benefit society through entrepreneurial ventures. This approach emphasizes the holistic programming necessary for long-cycle, deep-tech startups and the sharing of best practices from different institutions, enabling synergistic learnings and motivation. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Ruth Shuman