PowerPoint Presentation

Welcome to the National Science Foundation Webinar covering: NSFs I-Corps Sites Solicitation NSF 16-547

I-Corps Sites Solicitation Informational Webinar Tuesday, November 15th, 2016 2:30 pmEastern Daylight TimeRegister to Join WebEx Meeting After your request has been approved, you'll receive instructions for joining the meeting. Join by phone for the audio800-593-7195US Toll freeAccess code:9203805Toll-free calling restrictions1

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Welcome to the National Science Foundation Webinar covering: NSFs I-Corps Sites Solicitation NSF 16-547

2I-Corps Sites Solicitation Informational Webinar Tuesday, November 15th, 2016 2:30 pmEastern Daylight TimeRegister to Join WebEx Meeting After your request has been approved, you'll receive instructions for joining the meeting. Join by phone for the audio800-593-7195US Toll freeAccess code:9203805Toll-free calling restrictions

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Its all about building a Sustainable Ecosystem

A successful governmental ecosystem-building approach The Innovation Corps (I-Corps)

How we can scale-up sustainable entrepreneurship nationally -- Teams, Nodes and Sites and The National Innovation Network (NIN)

What we will talk about today its more than just about Sites -- and how it might involve you and your institution.

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Risk-Averse Culture Infects U.S. Workers, EntrepreneursThrough 2011 -- Updated June 2, 2013

First, a little bit of history Once upon a time ... Why did the NSF get into the entrepreneurship business? The big-picture helps to put your role into perspective.

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How could we at NSFs respond to disturbing trends?

We asked ourselves Is there anything we might do to Successfully Translate Innovations from Lab (something we know about) to Market quickly?Our goal was to:Leverage NSFs investments and broaden the impact of NSF-funded researchPrepare scientists and engineers to expand their focus beyond the laboratory into entrepreneurship and commercializationPromote the commercial success and societal benefit of new technologies funded by the US GovernmentTurn ideas into companiesChange the lives of researchers and the cultures of academic institutions

This is a tall-order its a were going to change the world kind of goal! And, naively, we thought we were starting small.

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How/why did we go about creating a solution to unsettling trends the origins of I-Corps:There was an emerging body of knowledge about why the 5-yr business plan approach to startup wasnt working.There was an emerging body of knowledge about what practices might lead to a higher probability of startup success.

So, in 2011 we launched a Pilot Porgram to immerse academics (with clever ideas) in a curriculum that would teach them how to commercialize their research outcomes quickly or recognize non-viability - quickly.

We began modestly:We mined NSFs grantees in STEM to see where we might find IP that had potential to be commercialized.We recruited 21 teams of three Principle Investigator, Entrepreneurial Lead, and a Mentor.We sent them to Stanford, gave each team $50K, immersed them in a curriculum taught by Steve Blank and gave them 7 weeks to decide if they were a Go or a No-Go.

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What did those Teams (and all subsequent teams) experience?

They spent three very, very long days with the Instructors, immersed in the curriculum and also getting out of the building to interview potential customers.

They spent the next five weeks engaged in customer discovery and interacting with the Instructors and keeping electronic diaries of who they talked with and what they learned.

Each Team was required to make more than 100 customer contacts during the next five weeks and also engage in weekly Webex Sessions with the instructor.

After the Customer Discovery portion of the curriculum, all of the Teams returned to Stanford for a two-day Lessons Learned - Go/No-Go review.

Amazingly -- 19 of the original 21 teams are engaged in commercializing their technology.

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So, now, a little more about:

What is I-Corps and the NIN and how it became a national movement toward creating a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem .

Does it seem to be working?

And, where do I-Corps Sites fit in?

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Building the Nations I-Corps Innovation Fabric

I-Corps NodesI-Corps Sites I-Corps Teams

I-Corps MentorsWe realized pretty soon that we were doing more than getting a few academics to create startupsThe Bigger Picture

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I-Corps Teams

The I-Corps Grass-Roots Activity -- Teams

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NSF Innovation-Corps National Teams Flow DiagramPool of eligible PIs & projects: ~50,000 projects (NSF)Recruiting processes (NSF)

Pool of eligible Teams (from NSF):Entrepreneurial LeadPIMentorTeamSelection(NSF)Node Assignment(NSF)Awarded I-Corps Teams(NSF)

Curriculum Delivery & Refinement(Nodes)

Customer Discovery(Teams/Nodes)Business Model Canvasses(Teams)

Go Decision(Teams)No-Go Decision(Teams)

Pool of eligible Teams(from I-Corps Sites and Nodes)

Strategic PartnershipPrivate CapitalizationPublic Funding (e.g., SBIR, STIR, . )

5-6 Weeks

7 Intensive Weeks

6 Months

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~900 Teams completed I-Corps in the past 5 years>50% have already created start-up companies!!

And heres what happened so far

The Nations I-Corps Fabric

I-Corps NodesI-Corps Sites I-Corps Teams

I-Corps Mentors

13Where do the Sites come in?

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NSF Innovation-Corps (I-Corps)The complete processPool of eligible PIs & projects: ~50,000 projects (NSF)Recruiting processes (NSF)

Pool of eligible Teams (from NSF):Entrepreneurial LeadPIMentorTeamSelection(NSF)Node Assignment(NSF)Awarded I-Corps Teams(NSF)

Curriculum Delivery & Refinement(Nodes)

Customer Discovery(Teams/Nodes)Business Model Canvasses(Teams)

Go Decision(Teams)No-Go Decision(Teams)

Pool of eligible Teams(from I-Corps Sites)

Strategic PartnershipPrivate CapitalizationPublic Funding (e.g., SBIR, STIR, . )

This is the path most I-Corps Team takeBut --- theres another path through the program --- Teams from I-Corps Sites14

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Now some details about Sites and how to structure your proposals 15

An I-Corps Site is an academic institution

With an already existing unit whose goal is to assist faculty, students and other academic personnel to engage in entrepreneurial activities and transition scientific and technological innovations.

Such units are typically called: innovation centers, entrepreneurial centers, technology incubators, etc. Their mission is to provide resources to individuals and teams in the form of space, seed funding, entrepreneurial mentoring, curriculum, or other assets needed to transition technology into the marketplace.

Already existing is important I-Corps is not in a position to fund the creation of Innovation Centers.Details about I-Corps Sites and Site-proposals16

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Sites leverage the intellectual power within colleges and universities

Nurture students and/or faculty who are engaged in projects having the potential to be transitioned into the marketplace.

I-Corps Sites will provide infrastructure, advice, resources, networking opportunities, training and modest funding to enable groups to transition their work into the marketplace or into applying for the I-Corps National Program ($50K, seven weeks)

Develop formal, active, local innovation ecosystems that contribute to a larger, national network of mentors, researchers, entrepreneurs and investors.

Networking is an essential component of all of NSF's I-Corps activities local and national networking activities help advance the goals of I-Corps and contribute to local and national ecosystems for innovation. Details about I-Corps Sites and Site-proposals17

I-Corps Site Projects -- Site team ideas or projects can originate from student work, research (funded or unfunded), institutional, or industrial projects. The topical focus of a project must be in an area(s) of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) normally supported by the National Science Foundation.

I-Corps Site funding for local teams -- The expectation is that an I-Corps Site will contribute $1,000 to $3,000 total to individual teams sponsored by the I-Corps Site and that the duration of the support will typically range from 1 to 3 months. I-Corps Sites are expected to fund at least 30 teams per year if full funding ($100,000 per year) is requested. However, institutions may request less than full funding for support of fewer than 30 teams per year.

Details about I-Corps Sites and Site-proposals18

There are two types of I-Corps Site proposals (this is where sustainability begins):

Type I - Type I proposals are submitted by institutions that have not had prior funding as an I-Corps Site. These proposals may request $100,000 per year for up to five years.

Type II - Type II proposals are submitted by institutions that have had prior funding as an I-Corps Site. These proposals may request up to $100,000 per year for up to three yearsDetails about I-Corps Sites and Site-proposals19

Expectations -- Site OutcomesDirect commercialization of team projects; Applications submitted by Site Teams to NSF's I-Corp Program; New start-up businesses; Applications for SBIR or other Federal FundingLicensing agreements; and/or Creation of business models suitable for review by third-party investors.An additional expectation of Sites involves collaboration and interactions with I-Corps Nodes in the Site's geographic region. https://venturewell.org/i-corps/

Networking is an essential component of all of NSF's I-Corps activities local and national networking activities help advance the goals of I-Corps and contribute to local and national ecosystems for innovation.

Institutions preparing proposals for a Site are encouraged to explore the role that I-Corps Nodes play in the National Innovation Network and possible relationships that might be established between their Site and regional Node.

Details about I-Corps Sites and Site-proposals20

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What is the deadline for submitting proposals?

February 09, 2017 Second Thursday in February, Annually Thereafter

Next -- how will your proposals be judged?

Details about I-Corps Sites and Site-proposals21

How will your proposal be judged? Additional Solicitation Specific Review Criteria to help you structure your proposal:Does your institution's entrepreneurial center have clearly-defined goals and a proven track record of providing assistance in transitioning academic projects into the marketplace?

Is there leadership, staffing, and in-residence personnel to manage the additional load that an I-Corps Site may induce?

Are the innovation services that the center currently provides in line with the expectations of the I-Corps Sites Program?

Will the majority of the Site's proposed budget be expended on services for and direct support to teams?

Does the center maintain a network of business, industry, governmental, and community connections? How are those networks utilized to the advantage of the people and projects served by the center?

Details about I-Corps Sites and Site-proposals22

How will your proposal be judged? Additional Solicitation Specific Review Criteria to help you structure your proposal:Does the proposal describe how the Site will collaborate with its closest regional I-Corps Node and help build the National Innovation Network?

Does the center have processes in place for pursuing and tracking new ideas, projects, and people for support? Does the support extend to student teams? Do faculty play an active role in advising and mentoring student projects? Are efforts made to recruit and support underrepresented participants?

Does the center have a current curriculum in place for entrepreneurial training? Is rationale provided for why the particular curriculum was chosen?

Does the center provide noteworthy start-up success stories?

Are tracking, assessment/evaluation and follow-up processes in place to measure success and track supported projects?

For Type II proposals, reviewers will focus on how the prior Site satisfied the criteria for the duration of the Site award.

Details about I-Corps Sites and Site-proposals23

Motivation for I-Corps Sites Program:A need to increase the pool of potential NSF I-Corps Teams by supporting local teams whose projects are likely candidates for commercialization.Leverage intellectual assets of academic institutions and instill a culture of entrepreneurship in universitiesSites are funded at single academic institutions:with already existing innovation or entrepreneurial units, to enable them to nurture teams of students and/or faculty who are engaged in projects having the potential to be transitioned into the marketplace.Sites can be funded up to $100,000/year for 3 to 5 yrs.Sites provide:infrastructure, advice, resources, networking opportunities, training, and modest funding ($1,000 to $3,000 total to individual teams) to enable groups to transition their work into the marketplace orinto becoming I-Corps Team. Approx. 30 teams per institution per year.

Sites can serve as feeders to produce I-Corps-National eligible teamsSummary - I-Corps Sites

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How will your Site effort fit in to the National Innovation Network (NIN)?

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Spring/Summer 2013 4 Sites Awards:University of ToledoUCSDUniversity of AkronUniversity of Illinois -- Urbana-ChampaignOur growing I-Corps Sites PortfolioSpring 2015 21 Sites Awards:Brigham Young UniversityHoward and Hampton UniversitiesMichigan Technological UniversityNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyOregon State UniversityPurdue UniversitySUNY at Stony BrookTulane UniversityUniversity of Alabama TuscaloosaUniversity of California-Los AngelesUniversity of ConnecticutUniversity of Houston University of IowaUniversity of LouisvilleUniversity of North Carolina at CharlotteUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PittsburghUniversity of RochesterUniversity of South FloridaUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeSpring 2014 11 Sites Awards:CMUMITRITSan Diego StateUniversity of Southern CalUniversity of Central FloridaUniversity of ChicagoUniversity of DelawareUniversity of MinnesotaUniversity of Texas SAUniversity of UtahSpring 2016 15 Sites Awards:Arizona State UniversityDartmouth CollegeJackson State UniversityLouisiana State University & A&M CollegeMissouri University of Science and TechnologyNew Mexico State UniversityOhio State UniversityOklahoma State UniversityRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTennessee Technological UniversityUniversity of ArizonaUniversity of Nevada Las VegasUniversity of New HampshireWashington State UniversityWichita State University

There are now 51 I-Corps Sites in the USA26

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NIN and Location of I-Corps Nodes (6) and Sites (51)

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Here are a couple of examples of success stories from existing Sites

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MotionSavvy A Tablet App That Understands Sign Language: translate American Sign Language into English and vice versa. The entire development team is deaf. 3D motion recognition system detects when a person is using ASL and converts it to text or voice. The software also has voice recognition through the tablets mic, which allows a hearing person to respond with voice to the person signing. It then converts their voice into text, which the hearing-impaired receiver can understand.

This project was developed at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) which is one of NSFs Innovation Corps Sites NSFs I-Corps Sites fund teams at universities to help them commercialize research.

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This I-Corps Site Team developed an improved otoscope that enables physicians to quickly and accurately diagnose middle ear infections during routine examinations. In contrast to the traditional otoscope, which hasnt changed in over a century since its inception, the PhotoniCare CLEARVIEW allows the physician to look through the ear drum to directly observe and characterize effusions and biofilms responsible for infection in the middle ear. This project was developed at the University of Illinois which is one of NSFs Innovation Corps Sites NSFs I-Corps Sites fund teams at universities to help them commercialize research.

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And some other broader success stories about Sites and how they leveraged their awards:

Buildings, Named centers, Prizes, State funding,Philanthropy,31

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We are ready to open our lines for your questions, BUT first, here are some FAQs that folks have already posed:

Geographical regions does the selection process consider geographical proximity?

Budget preparation what can the $100K per year be used for?

Teams from other schools could you institution absorb some teams from other institutions?

Community colleges eligibility and involvement.

IP what is NSFs policy with respect to Intellectual Property?

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Role of Nodes How do Sites and Nodes collaborate?

Target Audiences How do you configure your teams?

STEM foci Do we care if you specialize?

Where the Site is housed University-wide versus a Division?

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Anita J. La Salle, telephone: (703) 292-5006email: alasalle@nsf.gov Lydia V. McClure, telephone: (703) 292-8798email: lmcclure@nsf.gov

For further questions:34

AND finally, thank you, all of you, for being willing to invest your time, your efforts, your intellect, and your inspired thinking in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

What you are doing is truly for the good of the country.

Thanks!

The phone lines are now open for your questions about Sites.35

AND finally, thank you, all of you, for being willing to invest your time, your efforts, your intellect, and your inspired thinking in Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

What you are doing is truly for the good of the country.

Thanks!

The phone lines are now open for your questions about Sites.36