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

这个国家科学基金会I-Corps中心项目的更广泛的影响和商业潜力是发展一个区域网络，为农村地区和小城市的创新者提供可重复的、包容性的教育和劳动力培训模式。东北内陆地区是美国大部分农村地区的代表，这些地区经济服务不足，在制造业和采掘业衰落后，正在努力减少外迁，恢复经济活力。该地区还拥有丰富的自然资源、开放空间和强大的研究型大学。东北内陆地区I-Corps中心寻求部署包容性的教学和项目开发实践，以扩大参与的方式支持主要大都市地区以外的创新者，并代表来自所有地区的创新机会的上升趋势，而不是集中在几个大城市。特别强调的是为聋人和重听人提供的I-Corps项目。I-Corps内部东北枢纽机构将创建一个“枢纽的枢纽”基础设施，将区域研究实验室和机构与较小的科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）研究足迹连接到I-Corps。该中心建议招聘多样化的教师、导师和员工，以便被忽视的少数族裔在I-Corps的各个层面都能找到机会。从向聋人和重听人部署项目、招募多样化的教师和团队以及支持农村创新社区的发展中获得的经验教训将在整个国家创新网络中传播。这个I-Corps Hub项目为东北内陆地区的STEM研究人员提供包容性的I-Corps培训、指导和支持，以加速将基础研究发现转化为有益于社会的产品和服务，并降低追求商业化的风险，而不了解行业需求和挑战。此外，该中心还建议提供一个项目基础设施，使主要城市地区以外的创新者能够从学习I-Corps发现客户的方法中获益，并将其应用到机会中，同时保持与家庭机构的联系。参与者将在充满活力的农村地区成为多样化创新者群体的一员，从中受益。为了实现这些目标，Hub建议重点关注：1)通过聘请受人尊敬的STEM教师，将I-Corps视为项目大使、思想领袖和Hub顾问，从而最大限度地扩大I-Corps与深度技术研究人员的影响力和声誉；2)提供大量的学习机会，支持地理上分散的参与者，并由经验丰富的教师领导，他们采用包容性教学实践；3)支持STEM研究人员的专业发展，这些研究人员是代表性不足的少数民族（urm），包括女性、退伍军人、有色人种和残疾人。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。

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.