I-Corps Sites: Type II - University of Minnesota Innovation Site

该项目来自明尼苏达大学双子城分校，将该机构的NSF i-Corps网站扩展到下一阶段对创新和创业的支持。创新团队(i-Corps)网站是由NSF资助的实体，成立于大学，目的是培育和支持多个当地团队，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。自2014年6月以来，明尼苏达大学(UMN)创新团队(MIN-Corps)计划为明尼苏达大学创新团队(MIN-Corps)的学生、教职员工提供基础设施、资源、网络机会、培训和NSF支持的项目资金。截至2017年12月31日，MIN-Corps已接待了1000多名参与者--其中一半以上是妇女--参加了其课程、研讨会或外联活动。超过180个创新团队在Min-Corps接受了培训，导致7人参加了国家i-Corps团队计划，12个UMN知识产权许可证，以及12个初创企业和其他持续项目，获得了超过800万美元的商业化赠款和/或投资者资金。下一个资金周期的主要目标是提高整个UMN的技术商业化的数量和质量，增加妇女和代表不足的少数群体的计划参与和商业化活动，将规划扩展到双城以外资源不足的UMN校园，并为中西部和国家技术创业和商业化生态系统的活力做出贡献。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project, from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, extends this institution's NSF I-Corps Site for scale up to their next phase of support for innovation and entrepreneurship.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. Since June 2014, the University of Minnesota (UMN) Innovation Corps (MIN-Corps) program provided infrastructure, resources, networking opportunities, training, and NSF-supported project funding to UMN students, faculty, and staff pursuing commercialization. As of December 31, 2017, MIN-Corps had hosted over 1,000 participants - more than half of whom were women - in its courses, seminars, or outreach events. Over 180 innovation teams trained with MIN-Corps, leading to seven participants in the national I-Corps Teams program, 12 licenses of UMN intellectual property, and a dozen startups and other continuing projects that have received over $8 million in commercialization grants and/or investor funding. The primary goals for the next funding cycle are to increase the quantity and quality of technology commercialization across UMN, increase program participation and commercialization activity by women and under-represented minorities, extend programming to UMN campuses in under-resourced communities outside the Twin Cities, and contribute to the vitality of the Midwest and national technology entrepreneurship and commercialization ecosystem.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.