Foster Center for Innovation

What is I-Corps @ UMaine?

Are you curious about technology commercialization? Do you want to explore opportunities to apply your research? Is your team searching for a fit between your technology and real-world needs?

Then I-Corps @ UMaine, also referred to as the NSF I-Corps Short Course, is an excellent first step in exploring the commercialization potential of a novel technology/solution. The program provides training and experience to support students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and staff teams aiming to transfer technology discoveries into products and services that meet the needs of customers and users.

Why should teams participate?

• Gain professional development experience for work in academia, industry, and startups
• Learn about potential customer interests and needs
• Learn the fundamentals of technology commercialization
• Broaden the impacts of NSF funded proposals and grants
• Prepare to apply to the NSF I-Corps Teams program

Where do ideas and technologies come from?

Ideas and technologies for projects can originate from student work, research (funded or unfunded), institutional, or industrial projects. The topical focus of a project must be in the area(s) of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) normally supported by the National Science Foundation. Innovations in the humanities, business, social sciences and interdisciplinary fields are also eligible if there is a technology application.

How does I-Corps @ UMaine work?

The program runs four weeks and begins with a half-day kickoff session. Participants will learn how to evaluate if their technology has applications and benefits that meets the needs of potential customers and users in the real world.

Teams are expected to complete at least 12 customer or relevant party interviews over the course of the program. They will participate in two coaching sessions designed to ensure teams are making progress as they test their hypothesis, and to adjust their queries as they learn new information from their potential markets.

The course wraps up with a second half-day session where teams will make a “Lessons Learned” presentation covering what they learned through their customer discovery interviews and how they plan to continue applying their technology to the industries they have explored.

Participating teams may be eligible for a nominal grant to assist teams with completing program activities.

Building your team

Teams for I-Corps @ UMaine can be made up of one to five participants, although teams of at least two members are highly encouraged because it makes customer discovery interviewing more efficient.

Although team roles for the NSF Short Course are less formalized, participants looking to participate in other innovation programs at UMaine or apply to the NSF I-Corps Teams program should consider filling the following three roles:

• Entrepreneurial Lead (EL) – This individual should possess relevant knowledge of the technology and a deep commitment to investigate the market opportunity for the innovation.
• Technical Lead (TL) – This individual should possess deep and direct technical expertise in the actual core innovation. This person typically also serves as the Principal Investigator.
• Industry Mentor (IM) –This person will typically be an experienced or emerging entrepreneur with proximity to UMaine and experience in transitioning technology out of academia but is independent from the technology development and team. As teams progress beyond I-Corps @ UMaine, program staff members can assist with identifying a potential industry mentor.

We encourage teams to apply for our next cohort. If you need assistance forming your team or have questions, please email Anthony Durante.