NSF National Innovation Corps Teams (NSF National I-Corps (TM) Teams) program
NSF funds entrepreneurial education, mentoring, and customer/industry discovery for university researchers to assess and advance the commercialization potential of NSF-funded deep-technology inventions.
⚑ Only institutions of higher education may submit; proposal must be on behalf of faculty members. · Focus is commercialization/translation of foundational research, not basic research. · Multiple awards based on the same core technology generally will not be supported. · International branch campus funding requires justification and explanation of why work cannot be done at the U.S. campus.
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 60 good | funds commercialization; prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 60 good | technical depth: central; funds commercialization (capped) |
| IPPRA | 43 partial | peripheral portfolio topic: energy; signature methods: community engaged; social/behavioral work is minor; funds commercialization — not a research fit |
Description
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) continues to develop and nurture a national innovation ecosystem that guides the output of scientific discoveries closer to the development of technologies, products, processes, and services that benefit all Americans . The goals of the NSF I-Corps ™ p rogram are to spur translation of foundational research to the marketplace, to encourage collaboration between academia and industry, and to train NSF-funded faculty, students and other researchers in innovation and entrepreneurship skills.
The NSF National I-Corps program utilizes experiential learning of customer and industry discovery, coupled with first-hand investigation of industrial processes, to quickly assess the translational potential of inventions. The NSF National I-Corps program is designed to support the commercialization of "deep technologies,” those revolving around foundational discoveries in science and engineering. The NSF National I-Corps program addresses the skill and knowledge gaps associated with the transformation of basic research into deep technology ventures (DTVs).
The purpose of the NSF National I-Corps Teams program is to provide NSF-funded researchers additional support in the form of entrepreneurial education, mentoring, and funding to accelerate the translation of knowledge derived from foundational research into emerging products, processes, and services that may attract subsequent third-party funding. The outcomes of NSF National I-Corps Teams' projects are threefold: 1) a decision on a clear path forward based on an assessment of the business model, 2) substantial first-hand evidence for or against product-market fit, with the identification of customer segments and corresponding value propositions, and 3) a narrative of a technology demonstration for potential partners.
Eligibility
*Who May Submit Proposals: Proposals may only be submitted by the following: -Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs): Two- and four-year IHEs (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Special Instructions for International Branch Campuses of US IHEs: If the proposal includes funding to be provided to an international branch campus of a US institution of higher education (including through use of sub-awards and consultant arrangements), the proposer must explain the benefit(s) to the project of performance at the international branch campus, and justify why the project activities cannot be performed at the US campus.
*Who May Serve as PI:
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Multiple awards based on the same core technology generally will not be supported.</span>
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: U.S. National Science Foundation <grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · National Science Foundation conventions SEE AN NSF EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — National Science Foundation's document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.