Applications Open for NSF I-Corps Spring 2026 Regional Course
Syracuse University is now accepting applications through January 28, 2026 for its I-Corps Regional Course for Startups, a month-long virtual program designed to help research-driven teams accelerate the commercialization of their tech innovations. The virtual course runs from February 23 through March 25, 2026, and is targeted at teams affiliated with community-based incubators or innovation ecosystems.
Teams that want to collaborate with Syracuse University or other NSF I-Corps Northeast Interior Hub partner institutions or other regional universities are strongly encouraged to apply. This program is ideal for teams already working with university researchers in community-based or university-based incubators. University faculty and student researchers who are commercializing technology are encouraged to apply. Space is limited.
NSF I-Corps courses are designed for teams from academic institutions, research organizations and innovation hubs to empower researchers with the tools, skills and strategies needed to bring technological innovations to market. Eligible projects must be beyond the idea stage and can range from validated scientific discoveries to prototype or early manufacturing efforts.
Syracuse University’s program is part of the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps ecosystem, a nationally recognized network that helps researchers bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and real-world applications. Through hands-on activities, live virtual sessions and one-on-one mentoring, participants engage in intensive customer discovery, learning how to identify the strongest product–market fit for their technology or research project. Teams will test assumptions, refine their value propositions, assess the commercial potential of their technologies and receive feedback and guidance from NSF-trained instructors.
Participation in the program positions eligible teams for potential nomination to the national I-Corps Teams program and for NSF I-Corps lineage. It can also serve as a pathway to federal grant opportunities such as NSF SBIR/STTR, which provide up to $2 million in non-dilutive funding to help bring research-based innovations to market, as well as to private investment.
The Syracuse University–hosted course is offered through the Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub (IN I-Corps), funded by the NSF and led by Cornell University in collaboration with partner institutions including Dartmouth College, Rochester Institute of Technology, the University at Buffalo, Binghamton University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Rochester, the University of Vermont, West Virginia University, and Syracuse University. The NSF I-Corps program at Syracuse is led through a cross-campus collaboration by Syracuse University Libraries, the Whitman School of Management, and the Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering (CASE).