About Us
The National Science Foundation Innovation (I-Corps) program is an immersive, entrepreneurial training program that facilitates the transformation of invention to impact. I-Corps prepares researchers to extend their focus beyond the laboratory to increase the economic and societal impact of NSF-funded and other basic research projects.
I-Corps Hubs bring together institutions of higher education within a distinct geographical region to collaborate and deliver a standardized curriculum. The curriculum explores the commercial potential of deep technologies with members of the scientific community and other interested parties in the Hub’s region.
The Great Plains Region is a consortium of eight partner universities in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming. The partner universities bring together their researchers’ expertise and the universities’ resources to support the Hub’s activities. Each university has a culture of cultivating entrepreneurship. North Dakota State University is the lead institution and is responsible for the overall operation of the Hub.
Our Vision
Our vision is to connect the pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit of the Great Plains with the national technology ecosystem. This vision will be realized by pairing university innovators with entrepreneurs and businesspeople through the I-Corps training program.
Our Goals
Training: Deliver regional I-Corps training at partner institutions and staff national instructional teams.
Expansion: Identify, recruit and support teams for regional I-Corps training and recommend teams for the national I-Corps program. Grow the Hub by identifying new member institutions.
Evaluation, assessment, and research: Collect and analyze data from participants in the regional program to evaluate and improve the Hub’s performance and conduct entrepreneurial research.
Frequently asked questions
Anyone committed to exploring the commercial potential of an idea can apply! However, you may improve your outcomes by building a team with these 3 roles:
Entrepreneurial Lead – An undergraduate or graduate student, postdoctoral researcher, or community innovator who leads the team and is committed to conducting customer interviews and reporting insights throughout the program.
Technical Lead – A technical expert, faculty member, staff member, advisor, researcher, or business partner who supports the team by offering deep knowledge of the core product or technology being explored.
Industry Mentor – An individual with entrepreneurial, industry, or commercialization experience who guides the team by offering insight into real-world applications, market fit, and customer engagement.
Anyone committed to exploring the commercial potential of an idea can apply!
However, to qualify for the National I-Corps Teams Program, individuals must have a technology connection to a higher education or research institution.
The Great Plains Regional Hub currently partners with universities in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Kansas, and Montana.
If you have a NSF research award for your technology, you are eligible to apply directly to the National Teams I-Corps program. If you do not have an NSF research award for your technology, you will need to attend a Local or Regional program before applying to the National program to receive a letter of recommendation.
We prefer that all team members can attend all the sessions, but if not all are able to, make sure at the very least the entrepreneurial lead (EL) on the team can attend all the meetings and serve as the primary contact.
Serving as a mentor for the Great Plains I-Corps Hub is a great way to give back to the community and help further build our local entrepreneurial ecosystems in the Midwest.
To be a mentor for the Great Plains Regional I-Corps, you should be an experienced entrepreneur or corporate innovator comfortable working with early-stage, deep-tech teams. Mentors help the team recognize and reduce confirmation bias throughout the customer discovery process. They participate in all cohort activities, whether at the Regional, or National I-Corps level.
If being a mentor sounds like the right fit for you, complete our Mentor Interest Form and someone from our team will reach out to you in three business days.
Have aN Unanswered Question?
Contact Us!