Type II: Polsky Center I-Corps Program

University Of Chicago, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

This project, from the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago extends their existing I-Corps Site grant. NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Sites are NSF-funded entities established at universities whose purpose is to nurture and support multiple, local teams to transition their technology concepts into the marketplace. Sites provide 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. This is a Type II proposal, requesting a "renewal" of funding for an existing I-Corps Site. There are two types of I-Corps Site proposals. Type I proposals are submitted by institutions that have not had prior funding as an I-Corps Site. These proposals may request $100,000 per year for up to five years. Type II proposals are submitted by institutions that have had prior funding as an I-Corps Site. These proposals may request up to $100,000 per year for up to three years. Through their initial Site grant, the University of Chicago served approximately 90 STEM teams, including innovative faculty, researchers, and students from the University of Chicago community and other Chicagoland institutions. Several of these teams were successful ? winning further grant funding, raising outside capital, hiring staff, and launching companies. Upon the renewal of their Site grant, the Polsky Center seeks to: 1) continue serving campus constituents, and 2) broadening access of these resources to underserved and underrepresented populations in the Chicagoland region whose universities do not currently provide access to Site resources. Through this goal, Polsky aims to increase economic development in Illinois and empower innovators to test their ideas. The Polsky Center has been a recognized leader in the development and launch of ventures that create economic value, supporting an increasing number of companies launching from technical divisions, including: the Computation Institute, the Medical Center, and the Institute for Molecular Engineering. Additionally, the University of Chicago manages national laboratories, including the Department of Energy Labs Argonne and Fermi, as well as the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole. The University of Chicago is committed to also supporting technology transfer from these institutions, which have received federal funding.