About the Program
The George Mason University’s NSF I-Corps Regional Program assists faculty, researchers, students, staff, innovators, and founders from across the Commonwealth in exploring the commercial viability of their technology-based innovation ideas to accelerate business exploration and creation and, ultimately, make a real-world/societal impact.
The Mason I-Corps Regional Program is designed to introduce participants to the key concepts and methodologies used in I-Corps, which is the rigorous customer discovery and validation program pioneered by the NSF. The program provides infrastructure, advice, resources, networking opportunities, and training to enable teams to transition their work toward the marketplace or into becoming National I-Corps Team applicants. Participants receive no-cost, confidential one-on-one mentoring from instructors.
The Regional Program is held on Zoom virtually at least three times a year, that is, March, July, and October. Each cohort has six sessions, with the Introductory session lasting 2 hours (from 6 pm – 8 pm ET), and all the other five sessions lasting 3 hours (9 am – 12 pm ET) per session. Mason I-Corps also organizes industry-specific cohorts, such as Life Sciences, Cybersecurity, and Quantum, in collaboration with industry-specific conferences, to expedite the customer discovery process.
Eligibility and Expectations
- Technology Innovation: The program is designed to assist teams in commercializing a technological innovation developed through university research or an academic laboratory.
- Team Size: A team of 1 – 4 people consisting of Mason faculty, post-doctoral researchers, staff, and students with or without startup or business experience.
- Time investment: All team members must attend each course session and have a minimum 1-hour weekly meeting with assigned mentors or Instructors, starting before the first day of the cohort.
- Commitment: Each team will need to commit 15 hours of classroom work, 2 hours of homework, 20 hours of interviews, 5 hours of assigned readings and videos, and 3 hours of office hours for a potential total of 45 hours during the duration of the course.
Benefits of the Program
- Gain invaluable insights into stakeholders and the ecosystem.
- Get a no-cost, confidential 1:1, and mentoring.
- Become eligible for the NSF I-Corps National Teams program, an intensive 7-week training facilitated by NSF.
- Access to additional funding opportunities from various sources, including VIPC, SBIR/STTR, PFI, and other funding avenues.
- Develop high-value networks in and outside your field of study.
- Develop the entrepreneurial mindset and skillset needed for a career in academia, industry, startups, or government.
Apply
Regional I-Corps courses are for faculty, researchers, and students with technology-based innovation ideas or Intellectual Property and a strong interest in commercializing their technology. Upon applying, teams will be contacted by a Mason I-Corps team member regarding program acceptance. This course is free for all participants.
For general information about the I-Corps programs or questions about the eligibility of your research, email:
Sampson Addo, I-Corps Program Manager
Gisele Stolz, Co-PI and Director, Mason’s I-Corps Program, Senior Director, Entrepreneurship Programs, Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact