What is the NSF I-Corps Program?

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has an excellent program called I-Corps that is designed to help scientists learn how to commercialize their inventions. 

The official NSF I-Corps site describes this program as follows:

"The National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps program prepares scientists and engineers to extend their focus beyond the university laboratory, and accelerates the economic and societal benefits of NSF-funded, basic-research projects that are ready to move toward commercialization.

Through I-Corps, NSF grantees learn to identify valuable product opportunities that can emerge from academic research, and gain skills in entrepreneurship through training in customer discovery and guidance from established entrepreneurs."

The NSF I-Corps program engages scientists via the following channels:

• National Innovation Network - fostering collaboration between faculty and students
• I-Corps Teams - a 7 week curriculum that teaches scientists how to commercialize their inventions
• I-Corps Nodes and Sites - providing 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 and supporting regional needs for innovation education, infrastructure and research
• Monthly webinars 
• I-Corps Resources

Check out their website here.