NSF I-Corps Hub (Track 2): Great Plains Region

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps Hubs: Great Plains Region project is the development of a regional network of university-based inventors and entrepreneurs within the framework of rural America to accelerate the translation of federally funded research into technology solutions that benefit society, enhance commercialization, and create economic growth. The Great Plains Region presents an opportunity to utilize I-Corps best practices to jumpstart the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by implementing structured and formal systems among the geographically dispersed Hub institutions to increase the flow of information and opportunities. Deep technology researchers from across Hub member institutions will be recruited to explore commercial opportunities based on their scientific discoveries and identify potential pathways to market. The Hub will initially go through a readiness phase to acquire the knowledge to succeed operationally in providing regional I-Corps training to Hub members and others in the Great Plains community. In addition, a foundation will be laid to connect teams and projects to the people, organizations, and resources needed to complete the development and scale the impact of the discoveries. The Hub also will prioritize broadening participation including partnering with Tribal Colleges and Universities. Underrepresented groups and underserved minorities, including Native Americans, will be recruited and offered enriching programming for professional development and community building. This I-Corps Hubs project is based on the development of a curriculum that integrates scientific inquiry and industrial discovery in an inclusive, data-driven culture powered by rigor, relevance, and evidence. This Hub project will prepare and build a culture and infrastructure for this curriculum that has most often been implemented in urban tech ecosystems. Implementation of I-Corps in the Great Plains will seek to identify specific factors that make I-Corps training in the region unique, which may lead to beneficial and generalizable insights that could benefit the almost 20% of US citizens that live in rural settings, most of which are agriculturally based. Fostering innovation in the agricultural and agriculture technology sectors within the Great Plains Region may become even more important as global events threaten the food supply. Anticipated outcomes of I-Corps training include the development of an entrepreneurial mindset in the scientists and engineers who participate, leading them to better focus their research directions using economic drivers. The initial eight partner universities who together form this I-Corps Hub, will increase regional connections and the sharing of challenges and success stories, as well as regional development and economic impact.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.