I-Corps Sites: Type I - University of Montana I-Corps Site

这个来自蒙大拿大学（UM）的项目在该机构创建了一个NSF I-Corps站点。创新团队（I-Corps）站点是nsf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。UM网站在整个校园社区促进STEM研究和创新的商业化。它利用黑石启动平台（BLP-UM）在培养UM和蒙大拿州创业社区的创业生态系统方面的成功。该项目是BLP-UM与商学院、人文科学学院、卫生专业和生物医学科学学院以及研究办公室的教师共同努力的结果。它利用现有的关系和专业知识来建立一个促进stem相关初创企业成长的项目。澳大I-Corps网站有五个主要目标：扩大STEM在创业中的参与，并在澳大的学生、博士后、员工和教师中培养创业技能；增加妇女、印第安人和其他未被充分代表的群体在STEM领域和创业领域的参与；增加澳大STEM创新的商业化成功；培养强大的STEM团队，为国家I-Corps培训做好充分准备；制定和评估在农村环境中培育创业生态系统的项目。这些目标是通过有针对性的推广和招聘、教育和培训、利用支持创业团队的网络、项目评估和参与者跟踪来实现的。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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 Montana (UM) creates an NSF I-Corps Site at this institution. 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 UM Site promotes commercialization of STEM research and innovation throughout the campus community. It capitalizs on the success of the Blackstone LaunchPad (BLP-UM) in fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem at UM and the entrepreneurial community in Montana. This project is a collaborative effort between BLP-UM and faculty in the Colleges of Business, Humanities and Sciences, Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences, and Office of Research. It leverages existing relationships and expertise to establish a program that facilitates growth of STEM-related startups. The UM I-Corps Site has five key objectives: expand STEM participation in entrepreneurship and build entrepreneurial skills amongst students, postdocs, staff, and faculty at UM; increase participation of women, Native Americans, and other groups underrepresented in both STEM fields and entrepreneurship; increase commercialization success of STEM innovation at UM; generate strong STEM teams that are well-prepared for National I-Corps training; and develop and assess programming that fosters an entrepreneurial ecosystem in a rural setting. These objectives are achieved through targeted outreach and recruitment, education and training, leveraging a network of support for Entrepreneurial Teams, and project evaluation and participant tracking.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.