I-Corps Sites: Type II - University of Delaware I-Corps Site

这是特拉华大学的一个项目，将他们的i-Corps站点资金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，其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。特拉华大学(UD)的i-Corps网站成立于2014年，将“培养创新和创业精神”作为该大学的五个战略目标之一；将精益启动板方法作为创业学术课程的基石；增加了创业课程的注册人数；支持创业活动的资源增加了500%以上，从而启动了其他支持计划，如基于麻省理工学院VMS模式的创业指导服务。进入下一阶段，他们将为参与者创造一条无缝的途径，让他们参与商业化，参与不断改进的课程，将更多的团队推进到i-Corps National Program并直接进入初创企业，并随着团队项目的成熟和有潜力吸引投资者而提供后续服务。该网站还将继续开展包容性活动，以吸引代表性不足的参与者。这一奖项反映了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 is a project from the University of Delaware that extends their I-Corps Site funding 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. The University of Delaware's (UD's) I-Corps Site, established in 2014, resulted in "fostering a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship" as one of the University's five strategic goals; instutionalizing Lean Launchpad methods as the cornerstone for academic offerings in entrepreneurship; increased enrollments in entrepreneurship courses; and, resources for supporting entrepreneurship activities increased by more than 500%, enabling the launch of additional support programs like a venture mentoring service based on MIT's VMS model. Advancing into the next stage, they will create a seamless pathway for participants to engage in commercialization, engage in continuous improvement of the curriculum, advance additional teams to the I-Corps National Program and directly to startups, and offer follow-on services as team projects mature and have potential to attract investors. The Site will also continue to engage in inclusiveness activities to attract underrepresented participants.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.