I-Corps Sites: Type 1- Colorado State University NSF I Corps Site

Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO

Investigators

Abstract

This project establishes an I-Corps Site at Colorado State University (CSU). 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. I-Corps Sites also strengthen innovation locally and regionally and contribute to the National Innovation Network of mentors, researchers, entrepreneurs and investors. This Site leverages CSU's innovation ecosystem to accelerate entrepreneurship across the CSU system and along the Colorado Front Range. The overall CSU Site objectives are to stimulate the translation of research, train faculty and students to understand innovation and entrepreneurship, and contribute to the National Innovation Network. Specific goals of the CSU Site are to dramatically increase the number of students and faculty exposed to the Lean Launchpad training methodology, engage a wide range of regional stakeholders, increase the number of CSU-affiliated start-ups over ten years, and unite CSU and other regional research universities around an entrepreneur recruitment and start-up development process coupled to both industry and the investment community and supportive of women and minorities. 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.