Make your research market-ready: Apply for NSF I-Corps Short Course

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Invent Penn State’s NSF I-Corps Short Course is now accepting applications for its June virtual cohort, with an application deadline of Friday, May 30. The no-cost program helps researchers test a startup idea through customer interviews and educational programming on the lean startup methodology.   

The course will run from Friday, June 6, through Friday, June 20, with virtual meetings once per week. In addition to these sessions, teams are expected to conduct a significant number of customer interviews and complete asynchronous assignments. Participants should plan to dedicate 5–10 hours per week to the program. 

Participants must apply and complete a self-guided, I-Corps prep mini-course by Friday, May 30. 

The short course will expose participants to key stakeholders and funding resources in the entrepreneurship community, increase chances of receiving an SBIR/STTR award, and put participants in an excellent position to apply for the I-Corps National Teams Program that provides $50,000 in funding to assist with customer discovery.   

Researchers from across the Mid-Atlantic have used the program as a launching pad to build viable startups and secure real-world funding. 

Many I-Corps alumni recently competed in the April 2025 Tech Tournament, a signature event of the Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference. The tournament brings together university researchers from across Pennsylvania to pitch their ideas to a panel of expert judges for a chance to secure startup funding. Demonstrating the regional economic impact of the I-Corps program, 10 of the 12 competing teams — from Penn State, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Lehigh University — were past NSF I-Corps participants. 

“The NSF I-Corps program not only helps researchers explore the commercial potential of their work, but it also equips them with the communication and business skills needed to attract funding and build strategic partnerships,” said Dan Kunitz, Director of the I-Corps Mid-Atlantic Hub. “These skills are critical for translating innovations from the lab to the marketplace.” 

One such success story is Microversal LLC, the second-place winner of the Tech Tournament. Microversal is a biotech company founded by Laura Weyrich, associate professor of anthropology and bioethics in the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts. Microversal aims to improve oral health by leveraging beneficial bacteria. Weyrich completed both the Penn State regional and the National NSF I-Corps Teams programs in spring 2024. 

“The NSF I-Corps program was instrumental in identifying the value of our technology,” said Weyrich. “I-Corps provided the time and space to get out of the lab and into the real world, speaking to potential customers and discovering how we might market our technology. This customer discovery provided the foundation necessary to develop pitches, which was critical for our startup.  Without this experience, effectively pitching our technology in the Tech Tournament, to investors, and in other spaces would not have been possible!” 

Participants must apply and complete a self-guided, I-Corps prep mini-course by Friday, May 30. 

Penn State teams are also welcome to apply to other regional short course offerings from the broader Mid-Atlantic region. Contact the Penn State NSF I-Corps Program Manager, Derek Gross, to find the best solution for a team.   

About NSF I-Corps     

Penn State is part of the NSF I-Corps Mid-Atlantic Hub, a network of universities, NSF-funded researchers, established entrepreneurs, local and regional entrepreneurial communities, and other federal agencies. Hubs work collaboratively to build and sustain a diverse and inclusive innovation ecosystem throughout the United States. Learn more about NSF I-Corps at Penn State.