Rutgers I-Corps Site
Applications are now closed for Cohort 7.
Teams may apply for Cohort 8 (Summer 2020).
Note: Phone interviews for Cohort 8 will begin in mid-April.
Do you want to explore how your idea or innovation could be used
in the real world? Do you think it may have commercial applications?
Are you willing to “get out of the building” to find out?
If your answers are yes, then the Rutgers I-Corps™ Site program may be just what you are looking for.
Students, faculty, staff from ALL Rutgers campuses/schools and alumni who have a STEM-based Innovation are invited to apply for this eye-opening 5-session program funded by the National Science Foundation.
Our goal is to nurture and support teams to help transition their technology concepts into the marketplace. The Rutgers I-Corps program will provide advice, resources, networking opportunities, training and modest funding* to assist teams with the commercialization process and/or into becoming applicants for the National I-Corps™ program.
The community, and especially Rutgers Alum, are encouraged to participate as team mentors.
Site team ideas or projects can originate from student work, research (funded or unfunded), or institutional projects. The focus of a project should be in an area(s) of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) normally supported by the National Science Foundation. Please contact us at i-corps@ored.rutgers.edu for questions on project eligibility.
Learn more in the Rutgers Today article Bringing a Silicon Valley Approach to Help Rutgers Research Move Beyond the Laboratory, Rutgers launches local National Science Foundation supported program to train scientists to become entrepreneurs .
You must have at least two team members to be accepted to the Rutgers I-Corps Site Program. See the team members tab for a description of the various team members.
We have a rolling interview process and the application for Cohort 8 is currently open. You will be contacted for a phone interview within a few weeks of your submission.
If you would like more information about the I-Corps Site program at Rutgers, join our mailing list.
Benefits of participating in I-Corps™ :
- Gain a deeper knowledge of the market; discover new market applications for your innovation – “the Pivot”
- Learn what it takes to commercialize technology and overcome barriers; improve future fundability
- Earn designation as an NSF-funded project >eligible to apply for the National NSF I-Corps™ and a $50k grant
- Receive reimbursement for up to $2500 for Customer Discovery and related expenses
- Foster new collaborations; integrate into the larger Rutgers and regional Innovation Ecosystem
- Connect to “next steps” resources
* I-Corps™ Site funding is a reimbursement to teams for travel expenses to consult with potential clients or experts.
Mentor the next generation of Innovators
We are recruiting Mentors to assist our teams in their customer discovery and commercialization efforts. If you are interested in joining our next Cohort or would like additional information about being a mentor, please fill out our brief survey.
For additional information contact:
Mark DeGuzman 973-353-1310 m.deguzman@rutgers.edu
or Lori Dars 848-932-4481 lori.dars@rutgers.edu