NSF I-Corps™ as a path to more effective research

Rachel Erbe2026-01-27T13:18:59-07:00 By Visar Berisha, Professor and Associate Dean for Research Commercialization, Fulton Schools of Engineering, and NSF I-Corps Faculty Lead, Arizona State University (ASU) In 2016, at the suggestion of a National Science Foundation (NSF) program officer, our lab at ASU participated in one of the first joint NSF–NIH (National Institutes of Health) I-Corps programs to explore whether our research-based discovery of speech-based biomarkers could enable earlier diagnosis of neurological disease. Like many academic teams, we began with a well-supported value proposition hypothesis: clinicians and speech-language pathologists would value objective tools for earlier diagnosis and tracking of conditions such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease. What we learned through customer discovery was that our assumptions about where the real problems lay were incomplete. Neurologists told us that diagnosis was often already sufficient, early detection was not always actionable, and from speech language pathologists we learned that even promising clinical tools could fail to matter without a clear path to adoption. The most consequential insight came from outside our disciplinary comfort zone. When we began speaking with pharmaceutical companies, we discovered that a key bottleneck was not diagnosis, but measurement: the lack of reliable, objective endpoints for tracking disease progression in clinical trials. That realization reshaped not only the trajectory of our subsequent company, but the way I think about research, impact, and the role of structured discovery in expanding an academic research agenda.  This experience was a turning point not just because it led to a commercial outcome, but because it reshaped how we...

How I-Corps Immerse: SEMICON West 2025 Shaped ASU Professor Xiangyu Guo’s Research Approach

Rachel Erbe2025-12-17T13:12:02-07:00 Dr. Xiangyu Guo, Assistant Professor in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks at Arizona State University, recently took part in I-Corps Immerse: SEMICON West 2025, a hands-on learning experience built to help researchers and innovators sharpen their customer discovery skills and explore early-stage problems connected to their technologies. This I-Corps Hub Desert and Pacific Region course paired NSF I-Corps™ regional training with an on-site experience at SEMICON West in Phoenix, Arizona. Travel and registration support made it possible for participants to conduct on-the-ground customer discovery work, gather industry insights, and connect with leaders across the semiconductor ecosystem. We spoke with Professor Guo about their team’s experience and what they learned through I-Corps Immerse. What motivated you to join the I-Corps Immerse course? As a new faculty member at ASU, I took the I-Corps Immerse course to see if my early-stage semiconductor metrology ideas had any commercial value and to learn how academic research can be useful in the real world more quickly. I wanted to meet new people, expand my network, and improve my business skills to go along with my technical skills. I-Corps gave me a structured way to test my ideas, learn from people who work in the industry, and make sure that the solutions I come up with as a new faculty member really do benefit the understanding towards important manufacturing processes and problems. Beyond my own development, I saw I-Corps as an opportunity for my students  — Vikrant Vivek Deo, graduate student, and Alexander Liu, undergraduate student...

Different Paths, Same Question: Who Is Your Customer?

Rachel Erbe2025-11-20T13:51:36-07:00 By Carlos Navarro, Technology Licensing Officer, and NSF I-Corps Hub: Desert and Pacific Region Instructor, University of Hawaiʻi Have a promising research breakthrough that you think can revolutionize an industry? Youʻve probably already asked yourself: whatʻs the best way to get it out into the world? Most researchers assume itʻs a binary choice: you either launch a start-up to build it yourself, or you license it to an established company for them to build. In reality, the landscape is much more flexible than that: whether youʻre in the early stages of exploring commercialization or already committed to a specific path, the NSF I-Corps™ program equips you with a proven methodology to figure out which route makes the most sense for your technology, your market, and your personal goals. Depending on your innovation, the market dynamics, and what you actually want to be doing five years from now, there are multiple legitimate paths worth exploring – and I-Corps helps you navigate them all. Start With the Foundation: What Problem Are You Actually Solving? This is a hard truth every researcher needs to face: your technology has to solve a real problem that real people are willing to pay to solve. If the problem isnʻt genuine or urgent enough, adoption just will not happen, no matter how technically brilliant your innovation is. Why would anyone spend money on something that doesnʻt fill a need? This is why I-Corps is a valuable tool for any researcher considering commercialization, not just those with dreams of being the next start-up...

What is NSF I-Corps™? A New Entrepreneur’s Guide to This Game-Changing Program

Rachel Erbe2025-10-22T12:13:04-07:00 By Cristy Salanga, Patent Manager, and I-Corps Project Director, Northern Arizona University Making an impact in this world begins with having a great idea. The challenge lies in turning that idea into a solution that customers or clients actually want. That’s where the NSF I-Corps program steps in, helping innovators bridge the gap between research and commercialization. If you’re an academic researcher or an innovator curious about how to bring your ideas to market, this will introduce you to the NSF I-Corps program and show why it’s a game-changer for innovators across the U.S. What is NSF I-Corps? The National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-CorpsTM) is a federally funded program designed to introduce academic researchers and new entrepreneurs to the fundamentals to think more broadly about the impact of their research or innovations, validate their ideas, identify customer segments, and provide pathways to commercial success.  Since its start in 2011, the program provides training, mentorship, and funding to university teams working on innovative technologies. The ultimate goal? To reduce the risks of entrepreneurial ventures and increase the chances of success for early-stage startups, particularly those stemming from academic research. Who Can Apply to NSF I-Corps? The regional NSF I-Corps is open to teams of typically 1-3 people with an idea that solves a problem.  In the research setting, this often consists of: Technical Lead (TL): Often a faculty member or researcher leading the technical development. Entrepreneurial Lead (EL): Someone passionate about exploring the commercial potential of the idea, often a graduate student or postdoc working with the faculty member or...

Strengthening Your Grant’s ‘Broader Impacts’ with NSF I-Corps™

Rachel Erbe2025-07-24T13:26:02-07:00 By Leith Martin, Executive Director, Troesh Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at University of Nevada, Las Vegas; NSF I-Corps Hub: Desert and Pacific Region Lead Instructor In today's challenging grant funding environment, every part of your proposal needs to be as strong as possible. If you’re writing grants for federal agencies like the NSF, you've likely noticed a growing emphasis on entrepreneurial thinking. This isn't just a trend. It's a fundamental shift. Agencies want to see not only the scientific merit of your work but also its potential for real-world economic and societal impact. This is formally captured in the NSF's "Broader Impacts" criterion, which can be challenging for researchers with limited experience outside the lab. How do you effectively translate your research into a compelling case for commercial viability? This is precisely the question the NSF I-Corps program was designed to answer. A Tool for Transformation Seven or eight years ago, while serving as an industry mentor for a team participating with the national I-Corps program, I heard a senior NSF official explain the program's three core purposes: To equip faculty and students with practical commercialization tools. To change the culture of academic research, empowering innovators to build commercial viability into their proposals from the start. To launch new companies that create jobs, build industries, and deliver a powerful return on investment for the U.S. taxpayer. The Proof is in the Numbers Now, over a decade into the program, the results are stunning. The I-Corps method has helped launch more than 1,300 companies that have collectively raised over $3.1...

Starting Your Entrepreneurial Journey with NSF I-Corps

Rachel Erbe2025-06-19T16:01:06-07:00 By Dennis Abremski, Executive Director, Institute for the Global Entrepreneur (IGE), Jacobs School of Engineering, and NSF I-Corps Hub: Desert and Pacific Region Project Director, University of California San Diego If you are a potential startup founder and new to the NSF I-Corps™ program, please read on. I hope this post will spark your interest and encourage you to learn more. If you are familiar with I-Corps, I hope you can relate to what follows and recommend this post as an interesting take on a program that has positively impacted the lives of many tech entrepreneurs. I oversee an NSF I-Corps program at the University of California San Diego (UCSD), developed over 10 years ago within the Jacobs School of Engineering. We are proud to be a part of the NSF I-Corps Hub: Desert and Pacific Region, led by Arizona State University and seven other collaborating universities in Arizona, California, Idaho, Hawai’i, and Nevada. I want to start with a short story… As I was driving to campus last week, it dawned on me that I was on the same section of the freeway that years ago, I had answered a pivotal phone call. Before I worked at UCSD, I was a partner in a healthcare tech accelerator. In my spare time (yes, that’s a joke), I volunteered as an I-Corps industry mentor. Our team was developing advanced baby monitors for both consumer and clinical applications. During said call, I talked to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse about how she performed her duties...