I-Corps at USF
Participate in I-Corps Hub: Southeast @ USF
I-Corps Hub: Southeast @ USF is open to the USF community: faculty, researchers, students, post-docs and staff. We only work with ideas based on research developed at USF.
I-Corps is about the customer discovery process — the first step towards your startup or commercialization. The interview results allow the team to evaluate the commercial potential of their innovation for translation into a successful product and/or service.
Who Should Apply?
USF faculty, students and post-docs interested in exploring the commercial potential of their research are encouraged to apply. Successful applicants will have:
- An early-stage technology innovation (beyond an idea)
- Two to four team members with the ability to spend several hours per week on class work, plus conduct at least 20 interviews during the program.
eligibility requirements
I-Corps Hub: Southeast @ USF teams require a minimum of two members, one of which must be employed by USF, and no more than four. The participant roles are:
- Technical Lead (PI) – Typically a USF faculty member or researcher, who serves as technical advisor and overall project manager
- Entrepreneurial Lead (EL) – Typically a USF student, who possesses relevant technical knowledge and a deep commitment to investigate the commercial landscape for the innovation
- Mentor (M) – An entrepreneur with experience in transitioning technology out of academic labs, who will guide the team forward and track progress
benefits
I-Corps gives direct, hands-on experience in customer discovery — a key step in the entrepreneurial process that involves talking to potential customers, partners, and other industry stakeholders.
Participants who complete the I-Corps Hub: Southeast @ USF program can:
- Evaluate the startup potential for their research.
- Apply to the National I-Corps program, an intensive training course that provides further training and grant funding up to $50,000 for customer discovery.
- Develop stronger applications for follow on funding opportunities including SBIR/STTR seed funding for early-stage research and product development.
Student NSF I-Corps Opportunities
If you are a student, USF CONNECT's Student Innovation Incubator (SII) is able to assist you in any stage of business development. Accepted participants in the USF Student Innovation Incubator receive I-Corps Hub: Southeast @ USF training as part of the incubator program.
| I-Corps Hub: Southeast @ USF | USF Student Innovation Incubator |
|---|---|
| Email: icorps@usf.edu | Email: sii@usf.edu |