I-Corps Site Program

Applications for fall 2020 workshop are now open. Apply now

The I-Corps curriculum provides real-world, hands-on, immersive learning about what it takes to successfully transfer knowledge into products and processes that benefit society. It’s not about how to write a research paper, a business plan, or NSF proposal. The end result is not a publication, a deck of slides, or even a scientific discovery.
Instead, the entire I-Corps team will be engaged in talking to industry customers and competitors and encountering the chaos and uncertainty of creating successful innovations. Getting out of the laboratory/university is what the effort is all about. This curriculum requires full participation from the entire I-Corps team. Each member must commit to in-depth preparation, attendance at the lectures, workshops, and WebEx conference calls. If you cannot commit a minimum of 5 hours per week, the Michigan Tech I-Corps Site program is not for you.
I-Corps is perfect for early-stage projects looking to assess a commercial opportunity. This program works equally well for university researchers that are in the process or have filed an invention disclosure, as well as SBIR/STTR Phase I awardees, or companies looking to spin-out new technologies.

• An opportunity to see the real world impacts of your research and technology
• Discover a market for your technology that you had not previously considered
• Your network will exponentially as you have priceless contact with teachers, investors customers and inventors
• Increased skills; you will learn the language of business and about the 9 fundamental principles of a business model
• Ability to identify increased commercial potential for your technologies
• Increased probability of grant success
• Quicker elimination of non-commercial research tracks
• Increase your visibility within your institution
• You will save years and money by accelerating your understanding
• You will help contribute to an innovation ecosystem that will change the future of the State of Michigan and the Midwest

Participants in the I-Corps Site Program will be expected to commit at least 3-5 hours per person per week. During this time they will concentrate on:

• market research
• customer discovery
• other commercialization-focused activities

It is important participants are interested in gaining new knowledge from the program and not just receiving the I-Corps Site grant funding. Once accepted, participants will be required to attend the following:

• kick-off event
• two training sessions
• mentor meetings
• final Presentation Day

Participants will show how their business ideas have developed over the course of the workshop at the final Presentation Day

Participants will also be expected to schedule at least two meetings with members of the teaching team. You can schedule a half-hour slot with a specific teaching team member by clicking on their Office Hours below.

All current undergraduate and graduate students, doctoral students, post-doctoral researchers, alumni, administrative staff, and faculty are eligible to apply. It is required that participants apply to this program as a team of at least two people. We do not recommend that teams apply with more than four participants. Typically, teams consist of:

• At least one scientific or technological expert who is responsible for the team's idea ("the scientific leader")
• At least one student , alumni, or post-doctoral fellow interested in conducting entrepreneurial research and directing group efforts ("the entrepreneurial leader"). The entrepreneurial leader may or may not have prior business experience, but is committed to leading or organizing team activities during the I-Corps Site Program.

Husky Innovate can help facilitate team formation in order to match people with different experiences onto teams. For more information on team formation, please contact Mary Raber (mraber@mtu.edu).