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FAQs: NSF Innovation Corps Sites Program (NSF I-Corps Sites) - NSF 12-604

What was the NSF I-Corps Sites Program?

The Innovation Corps Sites Program (NSF I-Corps Sites) was a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant opportunity intended to strengthen a national innovation ecosystem by helping move NSF-supported research and early scientific discoveries closer to real-world use. It did this by funding "Sites" at U.S. academic institutions that could systematically support teams in validating and preparing innovations for commercialization or other societal impact.

What did NSF mean by an "I-Corps Site"?

An I-Corps Site was a campus-based program run by a U.S. academic institution that already had established entrepreneurship or innovation infrastructure (for example, an innovation center, entrepreneurship center, technology incubator, or similar unit). The Site provided hands-on support to multiple student and/or faculty teams developing projects with potential marketplace value.

What was the main goal of funding I-Corps Sites?

The main goal was to create repeatable, durable institutional capacity to help research-derived innovations transition from the lab toward the marketplace or other real-world deployment, while also building local ecosystems that connect into a broader national innovation network.

What kinds of activities were I-Corps Sites expected to provide?

Sites were expected to provide practical, hands-on infrastructure and services, including mentoring and guidance, innovation and entrepreneurship training, access to networks of entrepreneurs and investors, advice on transitioning technology, and modest funding to help teams take early steps toward commercialization.

Was the program focused on awareness events or hands-on support?

The program emphasized hands-on assistance rather than only awareness-building. The intent was to help teams actively validate and advance innovations, not simply learn about entrepreneurship in a general sense.

Who was supposed to benefit directly from an I-Corps Site?

At the local level, the primary direct beneficiaries were multiple student and/or faculty teams working on projects with potential marketplace value. The institution also benefited by strengthening its long-term innovation and technology transition capacity.

How did I-Corps Sites relate to the broader NSF I-Corps Team program?

I-Corps Sites were designed to act as feeders and accelerators for the broader NSF Innovation Corps Team program (referenced in this opportunity as NSF 11-560). A key pathway was helping teams mature so they could either transition directly into the marketplace or become competitive applicants for the NSF I-Corps Team program.

Did NSF expect Sites to work alone or as part of a network?

NSF expected Sites not to operate in isolation. Sites were intended to build formal relationships among mentors, researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors, and to plug into a broader national community that shares practices and connections to increase the odds that research-based innovations find viable deployment pathways.

What types of innovations was the program trying to move toward the marketplace?

The program was explicitly market-facing and aimed to help teams transition "ideas, devices, processes or other intellectual activities into the marketplace," while also supporting other forms of societal impact.

What agency offered this funding opportunity?

The funding opportunity was issued by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as a discretionary grant program.

What was the funding opportunity number?

The funding opportunity number was NSF 12-604.

How many awards did NSF expect to make, and what was the total estimated funding?

NSF anticipated making about 15 awards with an estimated total funding level of $1,500,000.

Was cost sharing or matching required?

No cost sharing or matching requirement was stated for applicants in the provided announcement summary.

When was the opportunity posted, and what were the proposal deadlines?

The opportunity was posted on August 30, 2012. It listed a full proposal deadline of January 7, 2013, followed by another deadline on July 1, 2013, with the first Monday in July described as an annual cycle thereafter.

Who was eligible to apply?

Eligibility was limited to U.S.-accredited universities and colleges, including two-year and four-year institutions such as community colleges, as long as they had a campus located in the United States and applied on behalf of their faculty members.

Did applicants need existing entrepreneurship infrastructure to be eligible?

Yes. A major eligibility condition was that the proposal needed to be led by an institution that already had an established unit focused on entrepreneurship and technology transition. The program aimed to scale and formalize existing capabilities rather than create new entrepreneurship centers from scratch.

Were collaborative proposals across multiple institutions allowed?

During the program's startup phase, collaborative proposals involving multiple institutions were discouraged. Exceptions could be approved by the NSF I-Corps Management Team when institutions already operated joint entrepreneurial centers.

What types of institutions counted as eligible universities and colleges?

Eligible institutions included U.S.-accredited two-year and four-year institutions (including community colleges), provided they had a campus located in the United States and the application was submitted on behalf of faculty members.

What subject areas or disciplines did the program cover?

The opportunity covered a wide range of NSF disciplinary areas via multiple CFDA listings. Examples noted include engineering, computer and information science, biological sciences, geosciences, education and human resources, and social and behavioral sciences, among other NSF-supported fields.

Was this opportunity limited to one research domain?

No. The unifying theme was not a single research domain, but the readiness and institutional capacity to cultivate research-derived innovations into credible market or societal applications through structured mentoring, training, and ecosystem-building.

What type of grant category did NSF place this opportunity under?

It was described as a discretionary grant program in the category of science and technology and other research and development.

Is this funding announcement still active?

No. This specific funding announcement is archived. It was later replaced by NSF 14-547, and the archive date for NSF 12-604 was April 15, 2014.

What does it mean that the solicitation was "replaced"?

Based on the provided information, "replaced" means NSF ended this particular solicitation (NSF 12-604) and subsequently issued a newer version under a different number (NSF 14-547).

What was NSF trying to build beyond individual project teams?

Beyond supporting individual teams, NSF used I-Corps Sites to build durable local innovation ecosystems and formal relationships among key participants (mentors, researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors) that could connect into a larger national network and persist over time.

What did the program expect a Site to produce or enable?

A Site was expected to nurture multiple teams and help them progress to a point where they could either transition directly into the marketplace or be strong candidates for the NSF I-Corps Team program, while also strengthening the institution's ongoing capacity to support innovation and technology transition.