Programs
Be a part of the NSF I-Corps Hub: New England Region. Take advantage of both regional and national training opportunities. Learn how to get up to $50,000 to support customer discovery.
Regional Courses: Hub Spark Online
Attend our free regional I-Corps short courses developed specifically for STEM researchers. Whether you are just curious about entrepreneurship or certain you want to create a startup, our programs provide engineers and scientists with the ideal entry point to explore the potential value of their research or innovation. Individuals and teams may apply.
Program Progression – Participants begin with a three-week program called Hub Spark Online . After completing Hub Spark Online, participants that are candidates for the National Teams program may be eligible to apply for the Fusion program, during which each team can receive a microgrant of up to $1,000 to conduct further customer discovery. Completing both Hub Spark Online and Fusion may qualify participants to apply for the NSF I-Corps Teams program and a grant of up to $50,000.
All courses will be held virtually
Hub Spark Online is a FREE three-week course via Zoom. As a participant, you will quickly investigate if there’s a market for your technology, understand who would use it, and why. You will receive an introduction to the fundamental I-Corps™ principles, learn how to identify potential customers, and then “get out of the building” to determine if you are solving a significant real-world problem.
How it works
This highly interactive online course begins with a Kickoff Workshop where participants will learn how to:
- Identify their top customer segments
- Form hypotheses about their potential customers and their value propositions
- Find and effectively interview customers to test their hypotheses
During the three weeks that follow the workshop, teams will speak with at least 12 potential customers. Teams will have two office hour consultations with instructors to check-in, share progress, and receive coaching.
The program concludes with a Lessons Learned Workshop where teams will present what they have learned, receive additional coaching, and learn about their options on how to keep moving forward with their ideas.
I-Corps Courses at Universities in New England
We also support and assist I-Corps Sites at universities across New England that develop and deliver their own customer discovery training programs to their communities.
Completing an I-Corps Site course may qualify teams to apply for the NSF I-Corps Teams program and a grant of up to $50,000.
More information about these programs can be found at their websites (below):
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has selected MIT to lead 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.
National I-Corps Teams Program
The NSF I-Corps Teams program is an intensive seven-week innovation and entrepreneurship training course which includes mentoring and up to $50,000 in NSF funding. This immersive customer discovery experience has been proven to significantly strengthen SBIR/STTR proposals from participants.
Top researchers from across the country apply to this highly regarded program. NE I-Corps is happy to assist teams from New England in the application process.
To qualify, teams must have:
1) a relevant NSF research award OR
2) completed our regional Spark + Fusion programs OR
3) completed an equivalent I-Corps site program
There are additional requirements; see the NSF website and Program Solicitation for complete information.
Requirements
Individuals and teams participating in the NE I-Corps programs must be:
- Working on a project based on new, innovative, and differentiating technology that could be a candidate for a future SBIR proposal
- Located in New England
- Current faculty, postdocs, students, and staff at any university OR
- Other individuals working on a serious STEM-related technology
Expectations
By enrolling in our programs, you agree to fulfill attendance requirements for all workshops and office hour sessions and complete all assignments. The Spark course will require approximately 20 total hours of effort over a three-week period.