NSF I-Corps at Binghamton University

NSF I-CORPS

Program Overview
If you’re a academic researcher, a tech inventor, or a startup founder, National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-Corps) is for you.  

The program empowers startup founders to transform their novel products into real-world impacts through experiential learning in technology commercialization. The NSF I-Corps courses help participants gain insights into industry needs and challenges, as well as accelerate the translation of research discoveries to products and services that benefit society.

As part of the  Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub, the Binghamton University partner program offers multiple Regional I-Corps Customer Discovery Courses per year. 

Benefits of Participation
Participants in the NSF I-Corps program will:

  • Explore pathways to transition their innovations to real-world applications.
  • Learn valuable customer discovery skills and connect with key industry stakeholders.
  • Eligibility to apply for up to $3000 in micro-grant funding for customer and industry outreach, conference travel, and prototyping. 
  • Gain a better understanding of technology commercialization.
  • Explore essential considerations for launching a successful tech startup. 
  • Participate in innovation and entrepreneurship career development. 
  • Potentially qualify for the national-level I-Corps Teams Program ($50,000 grant) 

Program Structure
The month-long Regional I-Corps Courses include: 

  • Online curriculum modules and assignments in Canvas LMS;
  • 1-2 weekly online lecture sessions with instructors experienced in technology commercialization and startup entrepreneurship; 
  • 2 office hours sections with instructors; 
  • Experiential learning customer discovery interview assignments.  

Eligibility Criteria

I-Corps is designed for academic researchers and early-stage startup founders who are interested in exploring the market potential of their work and acquiring entrepreneurial skills. To qualify, the applicant team should: 

  • Have 1-3 members (faculty, staff, students, postdocs), who can commit to participating in all class sessions
  • Have a tech innovation or startup beyond the ideation stage with some
  • Be interested in learning about tech commercialization and entrepreneurship
  • While startups and community teams will be accepted, preference will be given to academic teams

Upcoming Courses:

I-Corps Regional Course - Virtual

Course Dates: Sept.–Oct., 2026

Format: Hybrid Course

Details: Open to startup teams. Hosted in partnership with Binghamton University and University at Buffalo. In this month long virtual course (April 13 - May 14), researchers working on a deep tech innovation “get out of your comfort zone” and talk with customers (virtually) to identify the best product-market fit. You may apply with a team of 1-3 people. Teams may not split attendance between members. Please only include the members of your team that will be fully participating in the course. All team members are required to attend and participate fully in every course session and complete all coursework.

This is important for two reasons:

1) Course learning is cumulative

2) Only team members who personally complete the full course can be considered for NSF lineage and a nomination for national I-Corps Teams

Apply here by March 18, 2026

Battery I-Corps Regional Course at Battery Show North America

Course Dates: Sept.–Oct., 2026

Format: Hybrid Course

Renewable Energy I-Corps Regional Course at RE+ 2026

Course Dates: Oct.–Nov., 2026

Format: Hybrid Course

Check back for details and application link

Program Team: 

headshot of Epiphany Muñoz

Epiphany Muñoz

Program Manager, NENY Student Engagement

Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships
BI