I-Corps Node: Southwest Alliance for Entrepreneurial Innovation Node (SAEIN)

该项目建立了一个I-Corps节点，重点是促进美国西南地区的创新（西南创业创新节点联盟-“SAEIN”）。SAEIN的努力将利用三个领先研究机构的综合创业经验和广泛的研究能力：德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校（UT Austin），德克萨斯农工大学（TAMU）和莱斯大学（Rice）。从地理上讲，SAEIN将服务于超过268，000平方英里的地区，并帮助促进在30多个高等教育机构的协作组中实施I-Corps方法。SAEIN将专门与众多少数民族服务机构（MSIs）合作，实施I-Corps课程和方法，作为创业培训的标准和扩大STEM领域参与的机制。SAEIN有可能向该州超过71万名社区大学生和近480万名K-12学生介绍NSF I-Corps课程。SAEIN将在以创业为重点的实体和活动中使用I-Corps方法，包括区域学术孵化器，小企业发展中心，高调的商业计划竞赛，西南偏南（South by Southwest，SXSW）SAEIN将通过建立西南地区独特的经济优势、劳动力特征、精益制造能力和创新生态系统来增强NIN的能力。该节点将为I-Corps计划在全国范围内产生巨大的曝光率，并为创新促进和风险开发提供一个独特的平台。SAEIN与已经通过大量NSF支持的研究项目连接的机构建立了强大的联盟。它旨在通过各种计划和活动来推进该地区和国家的经济增长目标，这些计划和活动采用商业模式画布和基于团队的发现实践，以最好地了解这些项目产生的知识产权。SAEIN将研究将I-Corps方法部署到区域社区学院系统，并调查如何通过应用I-Corps提高STEM参与率和社区学院的4年转学率。具体的3级研究重点将探索：1）精益LaunchPad研究，旨在审查支点和客户发现对创业成功和科学成果的影响; 2）开发STEM研究画布模型，专注于制作适合K-12 STEM学习者的STEM学习集（与商业模型画布和I-Corps方法一致）;以及3）I-Corps团队建模和开发，重点是探索来自不同人群的I-Corps方法周围的新团队合作模型的有效性（即，社区学院，K-12，额外的外部团体）。

This project establishes an I-Corps Node that is focused on promoting innovation in the Southwest region of the United States (the Southwest Alliance for Entrepreneurial Innovation Node - "SAEIN"). SAEIN efforts will leverage the combined entrepreneurial experience and extensive research capabilities of three lead research institutions: The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), Texas A&M University (TAMU), and Rice University (Rice). Geographically, SAEIN will serve an area of more than 268,000 square miles and help foster the implementation of I-Corps methodologies across a collaborative group of more than 30 institutions of higher learning. SAEIN will specifically engage numerous Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to implement the I-Corps curriculum and methods as both a standard for entrepreneurial training and a mechanism to broaden participation in STEM fields. SAEIN has the potential to introduce NSF I-Corps curriculum to more than 710,000 community college students and almost 4.8 million K-12 students in the state.SAEIN will engage the use of I-Corps methodology throughout entrepreneurship-focused entities and events, including regional academic incubators, the Small Business Development Centers, high profile business plan competitions, and the international South by Southwest (SXSW) event. SAEIN will augment the NIN capabilities by building on the unique economic strengths, labor characteristics, lean manufacturing capabilities, and the innovation ecosystem found in the Southwest region. The Node will generate tremendous exposure for the I-Corps program nationwide and provide a unique platform for innovation promotion and venture development.SAEIN engages a strong alliance of institutions that are already connected by a large volume of NSF-supported research projects. It seeks to advance economic growth goals for the region and nation through a variety of programs and activities that employ the business model canvas and team-based discovery practice to best understand the intellectual property resulting from these projects. SAEIN will study the deployment of I-Corps methodologies into regional community college systems and investigate ways to increase STEM participation and 4-year transfer rates from community colleges through the application of I-Corps. Specific Level 3 research thrusts will explore: 1) Lean LaunchPad research that is targeted at vetting the impact of pivots and customer discovery on entrepreneurial success and scientific outcomes; 2) development of a STEM research canvas model that is focused on producing suitable STEM learning sets focused on K-12 STEM learners (consistent with the Business Model Canvas and I-Corps methodologies); and 3) I-Corps Team Modeling and Development, with a focus on exploring the effectiveness of new teaming models around I-Corps methodologies from different populations (i.e., community colleges, K-12, additional external groups).