NSF I-Corps Semiconductor and Microelectronics Free Virtual Course Being Offered Fall 2025
Syracuse University researchers with groundbreaking ideas in semiconductors, microelectronics or advanced materials are invited to apply for an entrepreneurship-focused hybrid course offered through the National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program. The free virtual course runs from September 15 through October 15, 2025, with an opportunity for an in-person immersion experience at SEMICON West, North America’s premier microelectronics conference, in Phoenix, Arizona, October 7–9. Those interested are invited to apply by August 20, 2025 at https://www.tfaforms.com/5184953.
Hosted by Syracuse University and the University of Rochester as part of the Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub (IN I-Corps), this NSF-sponsored course is open to faculty, postdocs, Ph.D. and master’s students, undergraduates and community-based startups working on semiconductor-related technologies with commercial potential. The NSF I-Corps program at Syracuse University is a partnership between CASE, Martin J. Whitman School of Management and Syracuse University Libraries.
Teams selected to participate may receive up to $5,000 in travel reimbursement, enabling participants to conduct in-person customer discovery interviews and attend specialized workshops during SEMICON West. Participation in this conference provides unmatched exposure to global industry leaders, cutting-edge technologies and potential collaborators or customers. Conference attendees include executives, engineers, startups and policy leaders shaping the future of chips.
The course provides hands-on entrepreneurship training and one-on-one coaching tailored to researchers working in far-reaching sectors, from advanced lithography and transistor miniaturization to AI hardware and high-power materials. The course emphasizes emerging areas critical to the next generation of semiconductor innovation. Applications can range from 3D integrated circuits, system-on-chip integration and computing chips that mimic the human brain’s neural architecture for tasks like pattern recognition, learning and sensory processing. Big data and machine learning innovations are of interest, as well as conventional semiconductor design and manufacturing applications. The course is of benefit to anyone interested in being part of the research, design, commercialization and supply chain associated with these industries.
Led by NSF-trained instructors, the course guides participants through the essential process of customer discovery, which is a powerful method for understanding product-market fit, validating commercial use cases and shaping real-world impact. Participants will gain practical training in lean startup methodologies, engage in direct interviews with industry stakeholders and receive expert mentorship.
Teams that successfully complete the program may qualify for nomination to the NSF I-Corps Teams program, which provides $50,000 in additional funding. Completion of the program also strengthens applications for NSF SBIR/STTR grants and other commercialization programs. Past Syracuse course participants have gone on to win successful multi-million-dollar SBIR phase one and phase two grant awards.
This course aligns with opportunities in Upstate New York in the semiconductor industry, from the Micron investments to the NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub uniting Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse.
Teams involved in research with technologies ready for translation, those with technology commercialization aspirations and community-based tech incubator/startup founders pursuing microelectronics innovation are encouraged to apply. Applicants’ technology must have a clear potential application in the broad semiconductor or microelectronics sector.
About NSF I-Corps and Syracuse University
The NSF I-Corps program helps researchers explore the commercial potential of scientific breakthroughs. The Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub (IN I-Corps)—led by Cornell and including Syracuse University, University of Rochester, and others—provides regional programming, mentorship, and resources.
The Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub (IN I-Corps) is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and led by Cornell University, in partnership with Syracuse University, Dartmouth College, Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Binghamton, SUNY Buffalo, University of Pittsburgh, University of Rochester, University of Vermont and West Virginia University. IN I-Corps is part of the National Innovation Network, connecting researchers, entrepreneurial communities and federal agencies to help commercialize research.
Read more about Syracuse University’s participation in the NSF I-Corps Interior Northeast Region Hub (IN I-Corps) Consortium and its $15 million STEM innovation program.
At Syracuse, I-Corps is co-led by Linda Dickerson Hartsock, Strategic Initiatives Advisor, Syracuse University Libraries, Jeff Fuchsberg, Director, Center for Advanced Systems and Engineering (CASE) and Dr. Alex McKelvie, Interim Dean of the Whitman School of Management, who serves as the principal investigator for Syracuse’s NSF I-Corps grant. Syracuse University Professor Cristiano Bellavitis serves as research lead for the IN I-Corps Hub.
For questions, contact: Linda Dickerson Hartsock, Ldhart01@syr.edu or Jeff Fuchsberg, Jrfuchsb@syr.edu who will be co-teaching the course.