More Than Just a Paper
August 27, 2026
How I-Corps Showed Khushboo Jain Her Research Could Do Something Bigger
How I-Corps Showed Khushboo Jain Her Research Could Do Something Bigger
A pediatric psychologist at the University of Kansas set out to bring evidence-based sleep science to families everywhere. What she didn’t expect was that I-Corps would turn her assumptions completely upside down.
FrackOp came into I-Corps confident they understood their market. Customer discovery showed them just how much they had left to learn.
Dr. Lisa Friis first went through I-Corps in 2012. More than a decade later, she came back to the program but this time with a new team and technology concept to lead through the process. She expected to find it familiar, but in reality, she found it transformational. For many amputees, the challenges don’t end with learning to use
Most early-stage innovators come into customer discovery hoping to confirm what they already believe, and honestly, that’s human nature. You’ve spent months, sometimes years, developing a solution to a problem you’re convinced is real. Of course you want people to agree with you. But here’s what we’ve seen consistently across teams in the NSF Great Plains I-Corps Hub: the first
A student-built drone platform becomes the foundation of a growing company after customer discovery revealed a major opportunity in the power industry.
For Amie Norton, I-Corps was not about launching a startup right away. It was about understanding whether her research could translate into meaningful use outside of academic settings. https://youtube.com/shorts/oMonSHN_dEU?feature=share Entering the program as a faculty researcher, Amie wanted to explore how a laboratory-based technology might move toward application. Through I-Corps, she gained tools to test assumptions, engage potential customers,
Behind every successful I-Corps team is a network of experienced professionals helping founders validate assumptions, navigate uncertainty, and move research closer to practical application. Industry mentors play a critical role in bridging the gap between new technologies and commercialization by bringing practical insight, market knowledge, and valuable connections to the I-Corps team. How Mentors Support Teams Industry mentors provide teams
When Ilios Aerospace entered the NSF I-Corps program, their idea was clear: design a light-sport aircraft that is more affordable, easier to manufacture and assemble. What wasn’t clear? Who their customer really was and what they wanted. Like many startups, Ilios Aerospace began with a technology-first mindset. Pedro Cupertino, aerospace engineer and entrepreneurial lead, admits that his initial approach was
Every year, the NSF Great Plains I-Corps Hub works toward a singular goal to ensure that research does not stop at discovery. The goal is to help ideas move beyond the lab and into the world where they can create economic activity and expand opportunities across the Midwest. In 2025, that work continued across six states and eleven universities, and