I-Corps Hub FAQ

All eight “Hub-led” cohorts will be presented virtually via Zoom. 

Throughout the year, partner institutions will be holding “Partner-led” cohorts which may be either in-person, virtual, or hybrid depending upon the goals of that partner and that particular cohort.

Created, developed, and taught by entrepreneurs, the Lean Launch Program is an experience-based program focused around a “lean canvas”, where I-Corps teams make hypotheses about important aspects of their business model, such as who their key partners and main markets will be, go out and interview experts in the field, and then come back and refine their hypotheses based on the data from the interviews. 

Interested teams must apply here: https://forms.gle/J2P4UBFRuqJjwkZU9  They can choose from any of the currently scheduled Hub cohorts.  Once they are approved, they will participate in a 5-week program (one one-hour info session followed by four three-hour class sessions.  All Hub-led cohorts meet on FRIDAYS at noon AZ time.

Once successfully completing the course requirements, which include interviews, attendance, office hours, and homework, teams may be eligible to receive a non-compensatory award. 

Teams that complete this program and receive their awards may be eligible to participate at the national level for $50,000 I-Corps Team (National) awards.

At the Teams (National) level, teams work to develop a business model. Once the teams have collected enough information, they make either a “Go” or “No-go” decision based on market research and their proposed business model. After a “Go” decision, the teams decide where to look for funding, such as applying for further NSF grants or courting private investment.

The I-Corps Program is a “fabric” made of four critical components: I-Corps Teams, I-Corps Sites, I-Corps Hubs, and I-Corps Mentors.

I-Corps Teams are made up of university researchers, including faculty, students, and staff, and an entrepreneurial lead, with each team working on its own I-Corps Project.

I-Corps Sites, such as the University of Arizona, educate the I-Corps Teams and provide working spaces for the I-Corps Teams and Mentors.

I-Corps Hubs are regional organizations responsible for recruiting the I-Corps Teams at I-Corps Sites and from NSF Fund Reports, as well as providing additional education to I-Corps Teams. 

I-Corps Mentors mentor the teams, providing guidance specific to the problems and obstacles encountered by each individual team.

STEM technologies, particularly in medical or engineering fields, are eligible for the I-Corps Program. The I-Corps program is only for scalable, highly innovative technologies with significant risk; if you don’t need help, I-Corps isn’t for you.

To be eligible, your technology needs to be backed by an I-Corps team, composed of an Academic Lead (a primary investigator), Entrepreneurial Lead (a student or post-doc), and a Mentor (a businessperson experienced with commercializing technologies). For teams applying to the Desert and Pacific Region Hub program, we can help match you with an experienced mentor. Finally, your technology needs to be early-stage, with under $75,000 in total investment and no SBIR or STTR awards.

We are open to teams based in the Desert and Pacific Region Hub states (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada).  Applicants do not need to be affiliated with a university or hub member institution to participate in Participant-led or Hub-led I-Corps cohorts.  We welcome community startup teams in the area that are focused on commercialization of deep technologies and on a path to SBIR/STTR if there are spots. Our first preference is for teams based out of higher education institutions.  

The National I-Corps program is only open to faculty-led teams affiliated with higher education institutions. 

To apply for a Desert and Pacific Region I-Corps Hub Cohort, applicants need a full team comprised of Entrepreneurial Lead, Primary Investigator, a description of their technology and IP status, an explanation of the commercial potential of the technology, and a description of the applicant’s interest in the I-Corps Site Program. If you have not identified a Mentor, the Desert and Pacific Region I-Corps Hub administration team can help match you with one. 

The application for all 2024 Hub-led cohorts can be found here: https://forms.gle/J2P4UBFRuqJjwkZU9

Participant-led cohorts can be found here: https://desertpacificicorps.org/events/ which is updated regularly.

The I-Corps Hub program is based within affiliated universities, such as the University of Arizona. This is a five-week program, (one info session, four class session) with cohorts meeting once a week. Participants may be eligible for a non-compensatory award, and are required to interview at least 15 potential customers, attend all course sessions, and participate in two office hour meetings with instructors.

The I-Corps Teams (National) program awards participants $50,000 for customer discovery and the development of a minimum viable product. Ten-thousand dollars of that is reserved for travel expenses and registration in the I-Corps Teams courses, which require 15 hours-a-week of coursework over two months. This includes a three-day immersion session, five weekly webinars, and a final two-day “lessons learned” session. Over the course of the Teams program, participants must interview at least 100 customers. To apply for the I-Corps Teams program, applicants must have had NSF funding in the past five years; participation in the I-Corps Sites program counts as NSF funding. Completing this program increases your likelihood of successfully completing an NSF SBIR/STTR application.

To apply for the I-Corps Teams (National) Program, applicants must submit a one-page executive summary describing your team composition, NSF award history, predicted commercial impact, and detailed commercialization plan. Following this, applying teams will participate in a conference call with NSF. If the application and initial conference call goes well, a second conference call with NSF will be held, after which applicants will submit a five-page proposal. There is a four-week turnaround time after the submission of the final proposal to receive a decision from NSF regarding acceptance to the program. 

The Desert and Pacific Region Hub team can help match you with the right mentor for your team based on area of expertise, experience, and team chemistry. 

Not usually. When talking with potential customers, proprietary information is typically not disclosed. The conversations will largely involve asking the customers how to best address their needs. Focus on the details that set your technology aside from the competition, but don’t give away proprietary information. If it is absolutely necessary, an NDA can be used.

No, the Desert and Pacific Region Hub is a purely NSF program. To be eligible for the NIH programs, you must have received either an SBIR or an STTR grant.

The Sites program offers early-stage assessment of your technology and business plan, and lets you get a feel for the I-Corps program with a minimal time commitment. Given that trade shows and/or conferences represent an excellent opportunity to engage potential customers, the $3,000 awards are a great way to offset the cost of travel while gathering indispensable feedback.

Additionally, the Sites program helps participants develop an understanding of the customer discovery process and the I-Corps LaunchPad platform utilized by both the Sites and Teams programs. Lastly, successful completion of the Sites program helps applicants prepare for the Teams application process and provides them with a Letter of Support, increasing odds of acceptance.

Tech Launch Arizona offers a mentor training session that includes:

• Introduction to the NSF I-Corps Program ​

• Description of the Desert and Pacific Region I-Corps Hub

• The role of a NSF I-Corps Site Mentor – Why are YOU here?​

  • Communication​

  • Assisting with Customer Interviews​

  • Guidance During Class Sessions​

• Discussion and Hints from Mentors in Attendance​

If you would like more information on being an I-Corps mentor, please contact Aileen Dingus at AileenD@TLA.Arizona.edu.