Type I: UC Riverside - EPIC I-Corps Site for Entrepreneurship in Riverside County

这个项目来自加州大学河滨分校（UCR），在这个机构创建了一个I-Corps Site。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。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。这个I-Corps网站由加州大学河滨分校创业概念验证和创新中心（EPIC）管理。EPIC是一个区域性项目，与县和主要地方城市合作，提供一套服务和工具，帮助创新者和企业家团队创办知识型公司。此外，加州大学河滨分校与河滨城市学院合作，允许他们的高年级学生作为I-Corps团队成员参加。为了确保女性和少数族裔学生的代表性参与，EPIC指定成功的I-Corps毕业生担任学生大使，以促进和指导这两个群体的学生。完成EPIC I-Corps讲习班的团队将获得EPIC服务套件和EPIC区域合作伙伴网络提供的其他项目的额外支持。与该地区的大学和社区学院、区域孵化器和加速器积极合作，可以在该地区产生协同效应，并加快所需生态系统的发展，从而吸引和创造知识型公司和就业机会。EPIC和UCR NSF I-Corps网站的成功有助于在UCR和河滨县（一个缺乏创业历史和经验的地区）建立支持创新和创业所需的生态系统。这一举措的长期成果将是在该地区留住更多的UCR毕业生，增加公司创建带来的就业机会，并将知识型企业迁至河滨县。这些高薪的技术岗位对这个历史上以农业和低薪工作为基础的地区来说是一个重大的经济刺激。

This project, from the University of California - Riverside (UCR), creates an 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.This I-Corps Site is managed by the UC Riverside Entrepreneurial Proof of Concept and Innovation Center (EPIC). EPIC is a regional program that operates in partnership with the County and major local cities to offer a suite of services and tools to help teams of innovators and entrepreneurs launch knowledge-based companies. In addition, UCR partnered with Riverside City College to allow their upper level students to participate as I-Corps team members. To ensure representative participation of females and students from underrepresented minorities, EPIC designates successful I-Corps graduates as Student Ambassadors to promote and mentor students from those two groups. Teams completing the EPIC I-Corps workshops receive additional support from EPIC's suite of services and from other programs offered by EPIC's network of regional partners.Active collaboration with the region's universities and community colleges, regional incubators and accelerators create synergies within the region and accelerate development of the needed ecosystem that will attract and create knowledge-based companies and jobs. The success of EPIC and the UCR NSF I-Corps site are instrumental in the creation of the ecosystem needed to support innovation and entrepreneurship at UCR and in Riverside County, a region that lacks history and experience in entrepreneurism. Long-term outcomes of this initiative will be greater retention of UCR graduates in the region, increased employment from company creation and the relocation of knowledge-based businesses to Riverside County. These high-paying technology jobs represent a major economic stimulus into a region whose economy has historically been based on agriculture and low-wage jobs.