Regional programs requires teams have at least two active participants. Teams must have an Entrepreneurial Lead and at least one other team member.
All current students (undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, post-doctoral researchers), administrative staff, faculty, and 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 participate in a regional I-Corps Site cohort. Teams applying to the National I-Corps Program must have all three team members listed above. Teams may have an additional member in the role of co-EL, co-TL, or co-IM. Teams with more than four members are not typically supported.
More information about being a mentor for a National I-Corps Team is available here.
I-Corps Fellowship
I-Corps Fellowship: In addition to the team members mentioned above, I-Corps@Rutgers has created a Fellowship program to encourage members of under-represented groups to participate in an educational experience where they will learn about innovation and commercialization processes while participating in an I-Corps Cohort. More information about the Fellowship program is available here. Accepted Fellows receive a stipend at the end of the program. The Fellowship Program is administered by Rutgers University