OSU I-CORPS
Training researchers
to be entrepreneurs
Through OSU’s National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps™), researchers can reduce
the time required to take a promising idea from the laboratory to the marketplace.
The OSU I-Corps program provides advice, resources, networking and training to help
researchers learn about entrepreneurship and overcoming challenges to starting a business.
OSU is one of only 99 I-Corps programs across the nation – the only one in Oklahoma–
and is one of only a handful in a university’s college of business.
What to expect if accepted
Program benefits
- Up to $3,000 in NSF funding available.
- Establish an initial business model and product-market fit.
- Develop entrepreneurial skills including how to engage customers.
- Formulate an I-Corps team with required members.
- Prepare for I-Corps Hub National Cohort application.
- Gain eligibility to apply for an I-Corps Hub National Cohort and its $50,000 grant award if no prior NSF lineage.
Time requirements
The program lasts three weeks and includes one lecture each week. Teams allocate time for customer discovery interviews and will watch self-paced videos prior to the first week of I-Corps. The $3,000 pays for travel costs for team members to speak with customers during customer interviews. The funding is awarded after a short grant application is submitted.Team composition
- A minimum of two people is required to make up an I-Corps team (entrepreneurial lead and technical lead) with a maximum of four members.
- The technical lead will typically be a faculty member, senior research scientist or postdoctoral scholar.
- The entrepreneurial lead is typically a student or other personnel with relevant knowledge of the technology.
