I-Corps Sites: BYU I-Corps Site

知识价值：这个来自杨百翰大学的项目创建了一个I-Corps网站。美国国家科学基金会创新队（I-Corps）站点是由美国国家科学基金会资助的实体，建立在大学里，其目的是培养和支持多个本地团队，将他们的技术概念转化为市场。网站提供基础设施、建议、资源、网络机会、培训和适度的资金，使团体能够将他们的工作转化为市场或成为I-Corps团队的申请人。一个典型的I-Corps站点每年获得大约10万美元的资助，为期三年。Site资金由学术机构用于催化团队（金额从1,000美元到3,000美元不等），其技术概念可能被商业化。各基地的团队组成以I-Corps团队的组成为蓝本，各基地的教育也遵循I-Corps课程的原则。在网站的支持和指导下，参赛团队将学习第一手的创业知识，并探索如何将他们的想法、设备、流程或其他智力活动转化为市场。I-Corps站点还加强地方和区域创新，并为由导师、研究人员、企业家和投资者组成的国家创新网络做出贡献。杨百翰大学I-Corps网站通过提供资金鼓励更大的技术商业化活动，为学生和教职员工提供服务。通过这个项目，杨百翰大学I-Corps网站汇集并建立了杨百翰大学三个不同学院和两个主要创业单位的成功项目：罗林斯创业与技术中心（CET）和技术转移办公室（TTO）。CET主要解决学生创业问题，而TTO主要解决教师技术商业化需求。通过提供有针对性的商业化资金，这个I-Corps网站项目为吸引和刺激教师和学生的创业活动搭建了桥梁。每年大约有30个团队获得I-Corps基金，在杨百翰大学探索技术商业化的机会。预期结果包括(1)以学生为主要参与者的创业企业的形成，(2)创建适合种子期投资者的扩展计划，(3)杨百翰大学学生对教师产生的知识产权商业化的参与增加，以及(4)女性和代表性不足的参与者对杨百翰大学学生创业活动的参与增加。更广泛的影响：该项目通过研究以大学为中心的技术商业化过程的最佳实践，学习如何更好地激励杨百翰大学的学生和教师参与这些过程，以及跟踪学生团队的弱点，学习如何最好地将学生的能量和创造力与教师的专业知识和外部指导结合起来，从而提高知识水平。通过让学生团队参与技术商业化过程，这样他们就可以建立可扩展的新企业，这个项目将直接创造更大的经济活动，特别是在美国西部的山间地区。这将导致就业机会的增加，以及经济活动增加的其他正常结果。该项目还将面向女性和代表性不足的参与者，从而增加杨百翰大学生态系统中参与创业活动的学生的多样性。作为一个I-Corps网站，CET举办年度国际商业模式大赛的协同活动将获得更大的知名度，从而促进I-Corps项目的总体目标，向全国各地的年轻企业家灌输客户开发和相关的精益启动原则。

Intellectual Merit:This project, from Brigham Young University, creates an I-Corps Site.NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Sites are NSF-funded entities established at universities whose purpose is to nurture and support multiple, local teams to transition their technology concepts into the marketplace. Sites provide infrastructure, advice, resources, networking opportunities, training and modest funding to enable groups to transition their work into the marketplace or into becoming I-Corps Team applicants. A typical I-Corps Site is funded for approximately $100,000 per year for up to three years. The Site funding is used to by academic institutions to catalyze teams (with amounts ranging from $1,000 to $3,000) whose technology concepts are likely candidates for commercialization. The make-up of teams at the Sites is modeled after the composition of I-Corps Teams, and education at the Sites shares the principles of the I-Corps Curriculum. With the support and mentorship of the Sites, the teams will learn first-hand about entrepreneurship and explore the transition of their ideas, devices, processes or other intellectual activities into the marketplace.I-Corps Sites also strengthen innovation locally and regionally and contribute to the National Innovation Network of mentors, researchers, entrepreneurs and investors.The Brigham Young University I-Corps Site serves students and faculty members by providing funds to encourage greater technology commercialization activity. Through this project, the BYU I-Corps Site brings together and builds on successful programs in three diverse colleges and two major entrepreneurial units at BYU: the Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (CET), and the Technology Transfer Office (TTO). The CET primarily addresses student entrepreneurship and the TTO primarily addresses faculty technology commercialization needs. By providing specifically targeted commercialization funds, this I-Corps Site program builds bridges that attract and stimulate both faculty and student entrepreneurial activity. Approximately 30 teams each year receive I-Corps funds to explore technology commercialization opportunities at BYU. Expected outcomes include (1) formation of startup ventures with students as major players, (2) creation of scaling plans suitable for presentation to seed-stage investors, (3) increased participation by BYU students in the commercialization of faculty-generated IP, and (4) increased participation of women and underrepresented participants in BYU student entrepreneurship activities. Broader Impacts:This program advances knowledge by studying best practices in university-centered technology commercialization processes, learning how to better incentivize students and faculty at BYU to participate in these processes, and tracking weaknesses in student teams to learn how best to blend student energy and creativity with faculty expertise and external mentoring. By engaging student teams in the technology commercialization process, so they build scalable new ventures, this program will directly create greater economic activity, particularly in the inter-mountain west region of the USA. This will result in increased job creation along with the other normal outcomes of increased economic activity. This program will also reach out to women and underrepresented participants, thus increasing the diversity of students involved in entrepreneurial activities within the BYU ecosystem. As an I-Corps Site, the CET's synergistic activity of holding the annual International Business Model Competition will gain greater visibility and thus promote the overall goals of the I-Corps programs to inculcate customer development and related lean launch principles in young entrepreneurs across the country.