I-Corps Sites: Type I - University of Montana I-Corps Site

蒙大拿大学（UM）的这个项目在该机构创建了一个NSF I-Corps站点。创新团队（I-Corps）网站是在大学建立的NSF资助的实体，其目的是培养和支持多个本地团队将其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团队申请人。I-Corps网站还加强本地和区域创新，并为导师，研究人员，企业家和投资者的国家创新网络做出贡献。UM网站促进整个校园社区的STEM研究和创新的商业化。它充分利用了黑石LaunchPad（BLP-UM）在促进UM和蒙大拿州创业社区的创业生态系统方面的成功。该项目是BLP-UM与商学院，人文科学学院，健康教育学院和生物医学学院以及研究办公室的教师之间的合作努力。它利用现有的关系和专业知识来建立一个促进STEM相关初创公司发展的计划。该UM I-Corps网站有五个关键目标：扩大干参与创业，并在学生，博士后，工作人员和教师之间建立创业技能在UM;增加妇女，美洲原住民和其他群体在干领域和创业代表性不足的参与;增加在UM干创新的商业化成功;产生强大的干团队，为国家I-Corps培训做好准备;制定和评估促进农村创业生态系统的方案。这些目标是通过有针对性的推广和招聘，教育和培训，利用支持创业团队的网络，以及项目评估和参与者跟踪来实现的。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值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 Montana (UM) creates an NSF I-Corps Site at this institution. 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 UM Site promotes commercialization of STEM research and innovation throughout the campus community. It capitalizs on the success of the Blackstone LaunchPad (BLP-UM) in fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem at UM and the entrepreneurial community in Montana. This project is a collaborative effort between BLP-UM and faculty in the Colleges of Business, Humanities and Sciences, Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences, and Office of Research. It leverages existing relationships and expertise to establish a program that facilitates growth of STEM-related startups. The UM I-Corps Site has five key objectives: expand STEM participation in entrepreneurship and build entrepreneurial skills amongst students, postdocs, staff, and faculty at UM; increase participation of women, Native Americans, and other groups underrepresented in both STEM fields and entrepreneurship; increase commercialization success of STEM innovation at UM; generate strong STEM teams that are well-prepared for National I-Corps training; and develop and assess programming that fosters an entrepreneurial ecosystem in a rural setting. These objectives are achieved through targeted outreach and recruitment, education and training, leveraging a network of support for Entrepreneurial Teams, and project evaluation and participant tracking.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.