About

Learn more about I-Corps, the I-Corps regional and national programs, and the NSF I-Corps Hub: New England Region.

What is I-Corps?

---

The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports fundamental research and education in science and engineering. Ground-breaking discoveries from science and engineering research that result in technological innovations lead to increased economic prosperity and societal well-being. A strong capacity for translating fundamental scientific discoveries into powerful engines of innovation is essential for maintaining our nation’s competitive edge in the future.

The NSF created I-Corps to nurture and sustain a national innovation ecosystem that builds upon fundamental research to guide the output of discoveries closer to the development of technologies, products, services, and processes that benefit society.

I-Corps program participants learn, through customer discovery, how to identify valuable product opportunities that can emerge from academic research; this can accelerate research projects from the lab to impact.

See the most-recent NSF I-Corps Report to Congress

NSF I-Corps National Innovation Network

---

Through NSF activities and collaboration with other government agencies, NSF helps foster innovation among faculty and students, promotes national/regional coordination and linkages, and develops networks. 

I-Corps Hubs, Sites and Teams are part of the NSF’s National Innovation Network (NIN). Hubs, Partners and Sites are responsible for delivering I-Corps programs at the local and regional level.

The I-Corps Teams program is a highly regarded national program that provides an immersive seven-week experience using the I-Corps curriculum. Teams receive an NSF award of up to $50,000 to support their participation. 

Learn more about NSF I-Corps at the NSF website .

NSF I-Corps Hub: New England Region

---

MIT has received an award from the NSF to establish the a new Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Hub to support a partnership of eight New England universities committed to expanding science and technology entrepreneurship across the region, accelerating the translation of discoveries into new solutions that benefit society. NSF announced the five-year cooperative agreement of up to $15 million today.

The NSF I-Corps Hub: New England Region launched on Jan. 1, 2025. The seven institutions initially collaborating with MIT include Brown University, Harvard University, Northeastern University, Tufts University, University of Maine, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the University of New Hampshire. 

We offer programs that provide researchers with support and tools to accelerate the exploration of potential applications for a technology. Researchers, engineers, and others working on STEM-related technology may enroll and engage in a customer discovery process for their innovation.

These programs are held at universities and institutions across New England, including MIT. 

They are offered year-round.  See Programs .

Completing an I-Corps regional course may qualify teams for participation in the NSF I-Corps Teams advanced customer discovery program. 

Our Partners

---