Please see the full solicitation for complete information about the funding opportunity. Below is a summary assembled by the Research & Innovation Office (RIO).

Program Summary听

The goal of the program is to dramatically reduce the period of time necessary to bring a promising idea from its inception to widespread implementation.

Through this solicitation, NSF is seeking to expand and sustain the network of Innovation Corps (I-CorpsTM) (hereinafter I-Corps) Nodes that work cooperatively to support the development of innovations that will benefit society. NSF plans to build upon the established National Innovation Network (consisting of I-Corps Nodes and Sites) to further support the needs for innovation research, education and training. The interconnected nodes of the network are expected to be diverse in research areas, resources, tools, programs, capabilities, and geographic locations - providing the network with the flexibility to grow or reconfigure as needs arise.

I-Corps Nodes will foster understanding on how to: 1) identify, develop and support promising ideas that can generate value, 2) create and implement tools, resources and training activities that enhance our nation's innovation capacity, 3) gather, analyze, evaluate and utilize the data and insight resulting from the experiences of those participating in regional programs and 4) share and leverage effective innovation practices on a national scale - to improve the quality of life for the U.S. citizenry. In addition, Nodes must identify and are expected to implement plans for sustainable scaling of their efforts beyond the duration of NSF support.

I-Corps Nodes proposals can be either track 1 or track 2. Track 1: I-Corps Node Development is for new I-Corps Node awardees. Track 2: I-Corps Node Renewal is for previously funded I-Corps Nodes.

Deadlines

CU Internal Deadline: 11:59pm MST December 5, 2018

Sponsor Letter of Intent Deadline: 5:00pm MST February 14, 2019

Sponsor Application Deadline: 5:00pm MST March 12, 2019

Internal Application Requirements (all in PDF format)

  • Project Summary (2-3 pages): Please include information about the following: Level 1 contribution, Level 2 contribution, Level 3 contribution, coordination with I-Corps sites, plan for sustainment, a statement on intellectual merit, and a statement on broader impacts. If Track 2, include a concise description of the prior activities and associated outcomes.
  • Project Team (up to 2 pages): Please include a list of the project team members with names, organizations, and description of project role.
  • Budget Overview (up to 1 page): A basic budget outlining project costs is sufficient; detailed OCG budgets are not required.

To access the online application, visit:

Eligibility

Organizations may only be associated with one I-Corps Node that is receiving funding from NSF at a given time.

Institutions that are the Lead organization for a Node award which is ending may only participate in a Track 2 proposal submission.

Limited Submission Guidelines

Organizations may only be a participant in one proposal per deadline.

Award Information

Award Amount:

  • Track 1: I-Corps Node Development to be supported at a level of up to:
    • $1,200,000 (years 1 and 2)
    • $900,000 (year 3)
    • $600,000 (year 4)
    • $300,000 (year 5)
  • Track 2: I-Corps Node Renewal to be supported at a level of up to:
    • $900,000 (years 1 and 2)
    • $750,000 (year 3)
    • $600,000 (year 4)
    • $300,000 (year 5)

Award Duration: 5 years

Estimated Number of Awards: 1 to 7