I-Corps Node: DC, Maryland, Virginia Region

项目说明：这项工作包括通过与马里兰州大学帕克分校（UMD）、乔治华盛顿大学（GWU）和弗吉尼亚理工大学（VT）的合作，在华盛顿/马里兰州/弗吉尼亚州（DMV）地区建立和实施一个I-军团区域节点。DMV节点与华盛顿特区充满活力的创业研发生态系统的邻近性为国家I-Corps网络提供了一套宝贵的资源。该节点正在利用这三个机构各自的优势，帮助引导科学发现转化为造福社会的技术和产品。它正在实施两项旨在提高参与团队成功率的举措：（1）建立一个正式的DMV I-Corps导师网络，旨在吸引，培训和留住一流的导师，以及（2）提供一个后I-Corps支持计划，以帮助团队进行一系列后续活动（例如，持续的客户开发、最小可行产品原型、技术转让和许可、资金筹集、法律的服务以及招聘管理人才）。该节点正在实现一个在线节点网络（ONN），该网络将现有工具联系在一起并对其进行扩充（例如，LinkedIn、YouTube、Google Chrome、Quora、LaunchPad Central）;满足对I-Corps团队的性质特别有价值的需求。ONN汇集了丰富的内容，使I-Corps用户社区更容易访问这些内容。它还使导师网络能够与多个I-Corps小组汇集和分享他们的专门知识。此外，该节点正在研究I-Corps培训对以下方面的影响：（1）对创建公司方向的任何调整，（2）实现初步盈利的团队比例，（3）实现初步盈利所需的时间，以及（4）所花费的资源（时间，金钱）。更广泛的意义：除了为NSF团队提供培训外，DMV节点正在管理一个地区DMVI-Corps计划，该计划旨在在三年内培训另外150个团队。在研发支出排名前200位的美国大学中，有35所距离DMV节点不到4小时车程。该节点的重点是吸引来自这些顶级区域学术机构的团队，以及来自DMV地区独有的许多联邦和州研究实验室的团队（例如，NASA，NIH，ARPA-E）。该节点还通过与少数民族工程和科学研究生学位合作，吸引代表性不足的少数民族参与和HBCU。(GEM)财团它正在实施一项由GEM认可的举措，以提高人们对研究商业化机会的认识。正在向有希望的HBCU团队提供小额赠款，以提供创新培训。该节点还利用DMV的导师网络来支持HBCU团队。

Project Description:This effort involves the creation and implementation of an I-Corps Regional Node in DC/MD/VA (DMV) region through a partnership involving the University of Maryland College Park (UMD), the George Washington University (GWU), and Virginia Tech (VT). The proximity of the DMV node to the Washington, DC area's vibrant entrepreneurial R&D ecosystem is providing a valuable set of resources to the national I-Corps network. The node is leveraging the respective strengths of the three institutions to help guide the transition of scientific discoveries into technologies and products that benefit society. It is implementing two initiatives that are specifically designed to increase the success rate of participating teams: (1) establishing a formal DMV I-Corps Mentor Network designed to attract, train, and retain top-notch mentors and (2) offering a post I-Corps Support program to help teams with a series of follow-on activities (e.g., continued customer development, minimum viable product prototyping, technology transfer and licensing, fundraising, legal services, and hiring executive talent). The node is implementing an Online Nodal Network (ONN) that ties together and augments existing tools (e.g., LinkedIn, YouTube, Google Docs, Quora, LaunchPad Central); addressing the needs that are particularly valuable to the nature of I-Corps teams. The ONN aggregates rich content and makes it more readily accessible to the I-Corps user community. It further enables the mentor network to pool and share their expertise with multiple I-Corps teams. In addition, the node is studying the effect of I-Corps training on: (1) any adjustments in orientation toward firm creation, (2) the proportion of teams that reach initial profitability, (3) the time required to reach initial profitability, and (4) the resources expended (time, money) in the start-up process.Broader Significance:In addition to providing training to NSF team cohorts, the DMV node is managing a Regional DMV I-Corps program that is designed to train an additional 150 teams over a three-year period. Thirty-five of the top two hundred U.S. universities in R&D expenditures are within a 4-hour drive of the DMV node. The node is focusing on attracting teams from these top regional academic institutions, as well as from the many federal and state research labs that are unique to the DMV region (e.g., NASA, NIH, ARPA-E). The node is also engaging underrepresented minority participation and HBCUs through cooperation with the Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science, Inc. (GEM) consortium. It is implementing a GEM-endorsed initiative to increase the awareness of research commercialization opportunities. Small grants are being directed to promising HBCUs' teams in order to provide innovation training. The node is additionally leveraging the DMV's mentor network to support the HBCU teams.