I-Corps Sites: Type I - University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez I-Corps Site

这个项目，从波多黎各大学-马亚圭斯（UPRM），建立和I-Corps网站在这个机构。创新团队（I-Corps）网站是在大学建立的NSF资助的实体，其目的是培养和支持多个本地团队将其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移到市场或成为I-Corps团队申请人。I-Corps站点还加强地方和区域的创新，并为导师、研究人员、企业家和投资者组成的国家创新网络做出贡献。UPRM I-Corps网站在可能的解决方案空间中发挥作用，有助于发展强大的创新和创业生态系统，从而促进研究转化为商业化。UPRM的独特之处在于提供跨学科的教育经验，使他们的社区能够识别和利用市场机会。UPRM的校园有一个商学院，积极与工程学院合作。商业和经济发展中心（BEDC）是这项合作的中心，并主持NSF I-Corps网站。该项目的主要目标是加速波多黎各研究人员和学生开发的新技术的商业化。为了实现这一目标，该网站提供客户发现（CD）培训，指导和适度的CD旅行基金，以创业团队（专注于STEM）从UPRM和扩展社区。CD培训包括一个为期两周的讲习班，该讲习班基于国家I-Corps计划，并根据UPRM现场的需求量身定制。 导师制由UPRM和外部创新生态系统合作伙伴提供，为期三到六个月，重点是申请I-Corps国家计划，竞争SBIR赠款，该奖项反映了NSF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 Puerto Rico - Mayaguez (UPRM), establishes and 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.Puerto Rico faces an critical economic situation. The UPRM I-Corps Site, in playing a role in the possible solution spaces, contributes to developing a strong innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem that can spur the translation of research into commercialization. UPRM is uniquely situated to provide an interdisciplinary educational experience that will allow their community to identify and exploit market opportunities. UPRM's campus has a Business School that actively collaborates with the Schools of Engineering. The Business and Economic Development Center (BEDC) is at the center of this collaboration and hosts the NSF I-Corps Site. The primary goal of this project is to accelerate the commercialization of new technologies developed by researchers and students located in Puerto Rico. To achieve this goal this Site provides customer discovery (CD) training, mentoring, and modest CD travel funds to entrepreneurial teams (focused on STEM) from UPRM and the extended community. The CD training consists of a two week workshop based on the national I-Corps program and tailored to the UPRM Site needs. Mentorship is provided by UPRM and external innovation ecosystem partners, and extends for a three to six month period, with a focus on working toward either application to the I-Corps National Program, competing for SBIR grants, or direct commercialization of the technology.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.