I-Corps Sites: Type II - University of Delaware I-Corps Site

University Of Delaware, Newark DE

Investigators

Abstract

This is a project from the University of Delaware that extends their I-Corps Site funding for scale up to their next phase of support for innovation and entrepreneurship. 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. I-Corps Sites also strengthen innovation locally and regionally and contribute to the National Innovation Network of mentors, researchers, entrepreneurs and investors. The University of Delaware's (UD's) I-Corps Site, established in 2014, resulted in "fostering a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship" as one of the University's five strategic goals; instutionalizing Lean Launchpad methods as the cornerstone for academic offerings in entrepreneurship; increased enrollments in entrepreneurship courses; and, resources for supporting entrepreneurship activities increased by more than 500%, enabling the launch of additional support programs like a venture mentoring service based on MIT's VMS model. Advancing into the next stage, they will create a seamless pathway for participants to engage in commercialization, engage in continuous improvement of the curriculum, advance additional teams to the I-Corps National Program and directly to startups, and offer follow-on services as team projects mature and have potential to attract investors. The Site will also continue to engage in inclusiveness activities to attract underrepresented participants. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.