Type I: University of South Carolina I-Corps Site for Entrepreneurship

这个项目来自南卡罗来纳大学（USC），在该机构创建了一个NSF I-Corps站点。美国国家科学基金会创新队（I-Corps）站点是由美国国家科学基金会资助的实体，建立在大学里，其目的是培养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化为市场或成为I-Corps团队的申请人。I-Corps站点还加强地方和区域创新，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贡献。南加州大学I-Corps网站的目标是建立一个可持续的创新生态系统，与当地的创业社区建立紧密的联系。本网站通过综合创业课程、商业指导和早期发现资源分配，培养从事有可能转化为市场的项目的科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）教师和学生。南加州大学I-Corps网站提高了学生和教师对技术的认识，激发了他们的兴趣，扩大了经验丰富的企业家和投资者与研究人员的接触，并推进了将发现转化为商业应用。该项目包括三个主要任务：(1)加强基于精益LaunchPad方法的创业培训；(2)扩大南加州大学目前与经验丰富的企业家和投资者的接触，以促进对年轻企业家的指导。这是通过一个三层战略来实现的，其中包括一对一的指导、常驻专家计划、学生在初创企业的实习，以及(3)通过传播项目课程活动和最佳实践来促进外展活动，并指导战略以提高代表性不足群体的参与。南加州大学网站项目通过提供一个强调客户发现、网络和战略合作伙伴关系的体验式学习框架，解决了学术创业增长的关键障碍。具体成果包括获得研究资金的新机会，加强学术与产业的联系，以及让学生独特地接触到现实世界的转化研究。该项目的第二个成果是学术文化的演变，这种文化重视创业精神，更积极主动地承担风险，寻找资源，将想法变为现实。这种学术文化的转变增强了南加州大学？美国正在努力吸引STEM领域的学生，并加强其在经济发展和创造就业方面的作用。本网站的外联部分旨在通过更广泛的教育活动传播，改善多样性包容和加强代表性不足群体的参与。更广泛的影响是四方面的。首先，教育框架提供了一种身临其境的体验，帮助学生识别和追求高影响力的机会，而不管他们的职业是什么。其次，它通过促进教师和商业伙伴之间的合作，培育创新生态系统。这刺激了基础研究的商业转化，并使当地商界了解南加州大学的研究能力。第三，它为I-Corps团队组建提供了一个强大的框架，以提高南加州大学企业家在竞争SBIR/STTR和后续资金方面的成功机会。第四，该项目促进了创业生态系统独特模式的发展，将硅谷的最佳实践与东南地区独特的资源和资产相结合。

This project, from University of South Carolina (USC), creates an NSF I-Corps Site at this institution.NSF 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 objective of USC's I-Corps Site is to establish a sustainable innovation ecosystem with strong links to the local entrepreneurial community. This Site nurtures science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) faculty and students who are engaged in projects with potential to be transitioned into the marketplace using an integrated entrepreneurship curricula, business mentorship, and assignment of resources to early stage discoveries. The USC I-Corps Site increases awareness and piques the interest of students and faculty in technology, expands the engagement of seasoned entrepreneurs and investors with researchers, and advances the translation of discoveries to commercial applications. The program encompasses three major tasks: (1) enhances entrepreneurial training based on the Lean LaunchPad methodology, (2) expands USC's current engagement with seasoned entrepreneurs and investors to foster mentoring of junior entrepreneurs. This is accomplished through a three-tier strategy that entails one-on-one mentoring, an Expert-in-Residence program, student internships in start-ups, and (3) fosters outreach activities by disseminating the program curricular activities and best practices, and directing strategies to enhance participation of underrepresented groups. The USC Site program addresses critical barriers to the growth of academic entrepreneurship by providing an experiential learning framework with an emphasis on customer discovery, networking, and strategic partnerships. The tangible outcomes include new opportunities for research funding, strengthened academia-industrial connections, and unique exposure of students to real world translational research. A secondary outcome of this program is the evolution of academic culture that values entrepreneurship and is more proactive in taking risk and finding resources to bring ideas to reality. This transition in academic culture enhances USC?s efforts to attract students in STEM fields and strengthens its role in economic development and job creation.The outreach portion of this Site is geared toward improving diversity inclusion and enhancing participation of underrepresented groups through a wider dissemination of educational activities. The broader impacts are four-fold. First, the educational framework offers an immersive experience that prepares students to identify and pursue high impact opportunities regardless of their vocation. Second, it fosters the innovation ecosystem by promoting collaborations between faculty and business partners. This stimulates the commercial translation of fundamental research, and exposes the local business community to USC's research capacity. Third, it puts in place a robust framework for I-Corps team formation to enhance the chance of success of USC entrepreneurs in competing for SBIR/STTR and follow-on funding. Fourth, the program facilitates the development of a unique model for an entrepreneurial ecosystem that combines the best practices from Silicon Valley with the distinct resources and assets available in the Southeast.