NSF I-Corps Hub (Track 1): Interior Northeast Region

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this NSF I-Corps Hub project is the development of a regional network that offers a repeatable, inclusive model of education and workforce training designed for and by innovators in rural areas and small cities. The Interior Northeast Region is representative of large portions of the US that are rural, economically underserved, and struggling to reduce out-migration and restore economic vitality after the decline of manufacturing and extractive industries. The region also is rich in natural resources, open space, and strong research universities. The Interior Northeast Region I-Corps Hub seeks to deploy inclusive teaching and program development practices to support innovators outside major metro areas in a way that broadens participation and represents a rising tide of opportunity from innovation across all regions, rather than one that is concentrated in a few large cities. A particular emphasis is placed on I-Corps programs for the deaf and hard of hearing. The I-Corps Interior Northeast Hub institutions will create a “Hub of Hubs” infrastructure to connect regional research laboratories and institutions with a smaller science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research footprint to I-Corps. The Hub proposes to recruit diverse instructors, mentors, and staff so underrepresented minorities find opportunities at all levels of I-Corps. Learnings from the deployment of programs to the deaf and hard of hearing, recruitment of diverse instructors and teams, and support for the growth of rural innovation communities will be disseminated throughout the National Innovation Network. This I-Corps Hub project provides inclusive I-Corps training, mentoring and support to STEM researchers across the Interior Northeast Region, to accelerate the translation of basic research discoveries to products and services that benefit society and to reduce the risk of pursing commercialization without insights into industry needs and challenges. In addition, the Hub proposes to provide a program infrastructure that allows innovators outside major metro areas to receive the benefits of learning the I-Corps method of customer discovery and applying it to opportunities while remaining connected to their home institutions. Participants will glean the benefits of being part of a diverse cohort of innovators in a vibrant rural region. To achieve these goals, the Hub proposes to focus on: 1) maximizing the reach and reputation of I-Corps with deep tech researchers by engaging esteemed STEM faculty who value I-Corps as program ambassadors, thought leaders and Hub advisors; 2) providing numerous learning opportunities that support geographically-dispersed participants and are led by experienced instructors who utilize inclusive teaching practices; and 3) supporting the professional development of STEM researchers who are underrepresented minorities (URMs) including women, veterans, people of color, and people with disabilities.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.