Type I: University of South Carolina I-Corps Site for Entrepreneurship

I 型：南卡罗来纳大学 I-Corps 创业网站

• 批准号: 1735728
• 负责人: Ehsan Jabbarzadeh
• 金额: $ 50万
• 依托单位: University of South Carolina at Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-08-01 至 2023-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1735728&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Type; University; South; Carolina; Corps

This project, from University of South Carolina (USC), creates an NSF I-Corps Site at this institution.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. I-Corps Sites also strengthen innovation locally and regionally and contribute to the National Innovation Network of mentors, researchers, entrepreneurs and investors.The objective of USC's I-Corps Site is to establish a sustainable innovation ecosystem with strong links to the local entrepreneurial community. This Site nurtures science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) faculty and students who are engaged in projects with potential to be transitioned into the marketplace using an integrated entrepreneurship curricula, business mentorship, and assignment of resources to early stage discoveries. The USC I-Corps Site increases awareness and piques the interest of students and faculty in technology, expands the engagement of seasoned entrepreneurs and investors with researchers, and advances the translation of discoveries to commercial applications. The program encompasses three major tasks: (1) enhances entrepreneurial training based on the Lean LaunchPad methodology, (2) expands USC's current engagement with seasoned entrepreneurs and investors to foster mentoring of junior entrepreneurs. This is accomplished through a three-tier strategy that entails one-on-one mentoring, an Expert-in-Residence program, student internships in start-ups, and (3) fosters outreach activities by disseminating the program curricular activities and best practices, and directing strategies to enhance participation of underrepresented groups. The USC Site program addresses critical barriers to the growth of academic entrepreneurship by providing an experiential learning framework with an emphasis on customer discovery, networking, and strategic partnerships. The tangible outcomes include new opportunities for research funding, strengthened academia-industrial connections, and unique exposure of students to real world translational research. A secondary outcome of this program is the evolution of academic culture that values entrepreneurship and is more proactive in taking risk and finding resources to bring ideas to reality. This transition in academic culture enhances USC?s efforts to attract students in STEM fields and strengthens its role in economic development and job creation.The outreach portion of this Site is geared toward improving diversity inclusion and enhancing participation of underrepresented groups through a wider dissemination of educational activities. The broader impacts are four-fold. First, the educational framework offers an immersive experience that prepares students to identify and pursue high impact opportunities regardless of their vocation. Second, it fosters the innovation ecosystem by promoting collaborations between faculty and business partners. This stimulates the commercial translation of fundamental research, and exposes the local business community to USC's research capacity. Third, it puts in place a robust framework for I-Corps team formation to enhance the chance of success of USC entrepreneurs in competing for SBIR/STTR and follow-on funding. Fourth, the program facilitates the development of a unique model for an entrepreneurial ecosystem that combines the best practices from Silicon Valley with the distinct resources and assets available in the Southeast.

该项目来自南卡罗来纳大学(USC)，在该机构创建了一个NSF i-Corps网站。NSF创新团队(i-Corps)网站是由NSF资助的实体，成立于大学，其目的是培育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移到市场或成为i-Corps团队的申请者。I-Corps网站还加强了当地和地区的创新，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了贡献。南加州大学i-Corps网站的目标是建立一个与当地企业家社区紧密联系的可持续创新生态系统。该网站培养了科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)的教职员工和学生，他们从事的项目具有转化为市场的潜力，使用综合创业课程、商业指导和为早期发现分配资源。南加州大学i-Corps网站提高了学生和教职员工对技术的认识，激发了他们对技术的兴趣，扩大了经验丰富的企业家和投资者与研究人员的接触，并推动了将发现转化为商业应用。该计划包括三个主要任务：(1)基于精益启动板方法加强创业培训；(2)扩大南加州大学目前与经验丰富的企业家和投资者的接触，以促进对初级企业家的指导。这是通过三级战略实现的，该战略包括一对一指导、驻场专家方案、初创企业的学生实习，以及(3)通过传播方案课程活动和最佳做法以及指导战略以加强代表性不足群体的参与来促进外联活动。南加州大学SITE项目通过提供注重客户发现、网络和战略合作伙伴关系的体验式学习框架，解决了学术创业发展的关键障碍。切实的成果包括获得研究资金的新机会，加强学术界和产业界的联系，以及学生接触现实世界翻译研究的独特机会。该项目的次要成果是学术文化的演变，这种文化重视创业精神，在承担风险和寻找资源将想法转化为现实方面更加积极主动。这种学术文化的转变加强了南加州大学S在STEM领域吸引学生的努力，并加强了其在经济发展和创造就业方面的作用。本网站的外展部分旨在通过更广泛的教育活动传播，改善多样性包容，并加强代表不足的群体的参与。更广泛的影响有四个方面。首先，教育框架提供身临其境的体验，使学生做好准备，无论他们从事的是什么职业，都能发现和追求具有重大影响的机会。其次，它通过促进教师和商业伙伴之间的合作来培育创新生态系统。这刺激了基础研究的商业翻译，并使当地商界接触到南加州大学的研究能力。第三，它为i-Corps团队的组建建立了一个强大的框架，以提高南加州大学企业家在竞争SBIR/STTR和后续资金方面的成功机会。第四，该计划有助于开发一种独特的创业生态系统模式，将硅谷的最佳实践与东南部独特的资源和资产相结合。