NSF I-Corps Helps Researchers Find a Place For Their Ideas

Stony Brook University is a member of the New York I-Corps™ Hub, one of the 13 regional hubs across the country that connect universities and research institutions across the state to strengthen the national innovation network. Through this collaboration, Stony Brook University researchers gain access to a broader community of mentors, educators, and commercialization resources that accelerate the translation of research into real-world impact.

The United States National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) is recognized as an effective program both in the United States and internationally. It was created to 1) train an entrepreneurial workforce, 2) translate technologies, 3) impact the economy and 4) nurture an ecosystem of innovation. Participants build a collaborative community that accelerates technology and advances solutions with the potential to benefit society.

The program helps prepare researchers, faculty and graduate students alike, to move their discoveries beyond the laboratory. Through experiential learning, participants gain practical insight into entrepreneurship, recognize market opportunities and better understand the challenges of bringing ideas into industry.

Kevin Moriarty, Sr., an assistant professor of practice and director of the undergraduate program in the Department of Technology and Society and Anurag Purwar, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and director of the computer-aided design and innovation lab, are co-faculty leads on this grant.

Moriarty said, "I-Corps helps researchers transition into commercialization by providing funding to do customer discovery. The team creates a business model canvas and identifies certain markets. They formulate a hypothesis which asks the question, how does my research fit into the industry?"

Recently, Moriarty, an engineer by trade with experience in the military, industry and higher education, was featured in the New York I-Corps™ newsletter. He explained that the NSF I-Corps approach is so different from what he learned in business school. He said, "With my MBA, I was taught that I needed a business plan - that's what a bank will want to see. But early investors are looking to understand what the innovation or product does and why the beachhead market needs it. What is it improving, what is it fixing?"

Participants in the program identify and interview a customer segment and then move on to another segment that perhaps they did not think of. Once they receive validation of their hypothesis during the customer discovery process, they move onto the second stage. Funding is covered for their travel and expenses to do the initial discovery. At the second stage, there is training at the national level, and the funds increase.

Moriarty is the first Stony Brook professor to teach at the national level through the New York Hub. At this level, a team consists of an Entrepreneur Lead, a Technical Lead, and an Industry mentor who is someone familiar with the industry.

The teams get trained, but not in selling. "It's investigating," Moriarty said. "They have to create a business thesis that answers three questions: who is the team, what do they do and why does the market need it. It's all about knowing the values as opposed to the features," he said. The regional bootcamp is three weeks long, and the national one is seven weeks.

Moriarty said that this year in our Spring Bootcamp, there were 17 teams, of which 10 completed the process. "This was the largest cohort," he said.

According to Moriarty, there is a 65 percent success rate to get funding from Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) upon finishing the NSF I-Corps program. Both of these programs are also known as America's Seed Fund which is coordinated by the Small Business Administration and funded through 11 participating federal agencies that fund innovations through the SBIR/STTR programs.

Purwar is someone who has had success with the process. He went through the national I-Corps program based on an NSF-funded research award and subsequently served as the PI of the NSF I-Corps site program with Ann-Marie Scheidt as co-PI. Originally developed by Purwar within Stony Brook's research and teaching ecosystem, SnappyXO Robotics was designed to make robotics education more accessible and design-driven for learners at multiple levels. The platform's growth was supported through competitive federal and state innovation programs, including awards from NSF I-Corps, among others. Eventually, it was acquired by a private entity.

About the NSF I-Corps program, Purwar said, "Through NSF I-Corps, we try to tell entrepreneurs that innovation is not only about invention and securing patents, but also about understanding the people and problems our technology is meant to serve. All of our federal and state grants totaling almost $1.5M were built upon the national program that my team went through."

"I wish entrepreneurs knew how important it is to network and get out and tell your story," said Moriarty.

Those interested in learning more about the NSF I-Corps should contact [email protected] for further information.

- Debra Scala Giokas