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

该项目来自路易斯维尔大学(UofL)，创建了一个NSF第二类创新团队(I-Corps)网站。有两种类型的i-Corps站点。I类场地的提案针对的是那些以前没有获得过I-Corps场地资金的机构。第二类网站位于以前曾作为I-Corps网站获得资金的机构。I-Corps站点是由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。UofL网站通过负责研究和创新的执行副总裁办公室(EVPRI)、商学院的Forcht创业中心(Forcht Center)和该机构的STEM项目之间的合作，继续整合他们的商业化基础设施和能力。UofL i-Corps Site计划成立于2015年，已为UofL的教职员工、学生和校友提供创业培训、客户发现和原型开发支持。这些努力的重点是STEM发现的商业化，从而促进区域经济发展和接受过创业培训的教职员工、学生和校友。UofL i-Corps Site项目允许路易斯维尔大学的创新企业在创业发现过程的所有阶段招聘并吸引STEM研究人员和学生。该项目利用机构研究的优势和资源，使学生、教职员工和校友能够在新兴技术领域建立新的企业，并推动这些企业取得成功的里程碑和退出。路易斯维尔大学是肯塔基州高科技产业增长的驱动力，肯塔基州在这方面一直落后于其他州。UofL的i-Corps站点计划第二阶段实施了一种技术开发模式，以创业培训和客户发现为基础，作为产品开发的基础。该计划还侧重于与UofL的现有资源合作，专注于从STEM领域代表性不足的群体中招募不同的参与者。对学生、教职员工和校友的创业培训将使州和地区能够招募和留住最优秀和最聪明的研究人员和企业家，从而为在全州创造文化转变做出贡献。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 Louisville (UofL), creates a Type II NSF Innovation-Corps (I-Corps) Site. There are two types of I-Corps Sites. Type I Sites proposals are at institutions that have not had prior funding as an I-Corps Site. Type II Sites are at institutions that have had prior funding as an I-Corps Site. 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 UofL Site continues the integration of their commercialization infrastructure and capabilities through the collaborative efforts between the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research and Innovation (EVPRI), the College of Business' Forcht Center for Entrepreneurship (Forcht Center) and the institution's STEM programs. The UofL I-Corps Site Program was established in 2015 and has provided entrepreneurial training, customer discovery and prototype development support to faculty, staff, students and alumni across the UofL. These efforts are focused on the commercialization of STEM discoveries resulting in increased regional economic development and entrepreneurship-trained faculty, staff, students and alumni. The UofL I-Corps Site program allows the University of Louisville innovation enterprise to recruit and engage STEM researchers and students at all stages of the entrepreneurial discovery process. This project leverages institutional research strengths and resources to enable students, faculty, staff and alumni to establish new ventures in emerging technologies and drive those ventures to successful milestones and exits. The University of Louisville is serving as a driver of the growth of high tech industries in Kentucky, a state that consistently lags other states in this regard. Phase II of the UofL's I-Corps Sites program implements a model of technology development that centers on entrepreneurial training and customer discovery as the foundation of product development. The program also focuses on collaborating with existing resources at UofL to focus on recruiting a diverse group of participants from under-represented groups in the STEM fields. The entrepreneurial training of students, faculty, staff and alumni will allow the state and region to recruit and retain the best and brightest researchers and entrepreneurs, thereby contributing to creating a culture shift across the state.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.