I-Corps@Rutgers requires teams have at least two active participants. Teams must have an Entrepreneurial Lead and at least one other team member.
All current Rutgers students (undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, post-doctoral researchers), administrative staff, faculty, and alumni are eligible to apply as an Entrepreneurial Lead (EL).
I-Corps teams are typically composed of three Team members.
- The Entrepreneurial Lead (EL) could be a postdoctoral scholar, graduate or undergraduate student, staff member, researcher, or other personnel with relevant knowledge of the technology and a deep commitment to investigate the commercial landscape surrounding the innovation. The Entrepreneurial Lead should also be capable of and have the will to support the transition of the technology, should the I-Corps Site Team project demonstrate the potential for commercial viability. The EL is responsible for presenting at each of the in-person I-Corps sessions.
- The Technical Lead (TL) sometime referred to as the Academic Lead (AL) typically has deep and direct technical expertise in the actual core technology about which the I-Corps team is exploring commercial potential. Usually, the Technical Lead will also serve as the proposal Principal Investigator (PI) if the team applies for the National I-Corps program.
- The I-Corps Teams Mentor (IM) has experience in business or is an entrepreneur with proximity to the institution; often he or she has experience in transitioning technology out of Academic labs. The I-Corps Teams Mentor should be a third-party resource and will usually have contacts in the industry area(s) being explored. Other than their direct expenses for program participation, Mentors are not compensated through I-Corps Teams awards – Mentors are part of a volunteer cadre of entrepreneurs.
Note: Teams must have an EL and one other team member when applying to the I-Corps Site cohort. We can help you find either a Technical Lead or a Mentor. A maximum of five team members is recommended.
Teams may have an additional member in the role of co-EL, co-TL, or co-IM. Teams with more than five members are not typically supported.