These opportunities help you become a geo-entrepreneur and realize the real impact and potential of your ideas, processes, devices, sensors, and other things you feel could have market potential or could form the basis of a company, license agreement, patent, etc. They are highly respected programs that range from providing training in hypothesis-based customer discovery (i.e., market research) to getting money to build a compelling prototype to starting the journey to commercialization by starting a small business or collaborating with one.

I-CORPS (Innovation Corps) This is a training that let’s you find out if the innovation that resulted from your GEO-funded research has commercial potential. ICORPS teaches you customer discovery using a “scientific” hypothesis-driven method that helps you find out if your idea/innovation has potential for a patent, license, or viable start-up. It involves a faculty member (technical lead), a student or postdoc (entrepreneurial lead), and a person who has been involved in tech transfer or starting their own company (mentor). It’s fast paced and exhilarating.  

• Up to $50k for intense 7-week training in customer discovery.
• 5 year look back to your last active NSF award to be eligible.
• I-CORPS Website
• Sample Informational Video
• ICORPS Office Hour registration


• PFI (Partnerships for Innovation) Program that provides funding for a PI to improve/perfect/harden their innovation to make it more attractive to investors.  Two tracks: One just for a professor/researcher in their lab and one that involves a small business collaborator.
  • $250k for 18 mo or $350 for 3 yrs, depending on the track.
  • Will be required to do I-CORPS customer discovery program if not already done.
  • PFI Website
  • PFI Solicitation (NSF 19-506)
  • Sample Informational Video
  • PFI Office Hour registration

• SBIR/STTR  (Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer) This is the NSF version of an accelerator with funding for start-ups to get over the commercialization “Valley of Death” and attract investors to take their startup to the next level.
• 2 Phases: Phase 1 (up to $275k for 6 to 12 mo); Phase 2 (up to $1M for 2 yr)
• Submission of proposal requires approved Pitch Proposal.
• Up to $1.275M of equity free money from the US federal government to develop transition your research idea/product and move it to commercialization.
• SBIR/STTR Website
• Sample Informational Videos:
• Video 1
• Video 2
• SBIR Office Hour registration

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