Research, Funding, and Awards

  • Apply for UConn's NSF I-Corps Program

    Accelerate UConn is UConn’s National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Program. Its mission is to catalyze the transition of new scientific discoveries and capabilities from the lab to the marketplace. Participating teams will receive an introduction to the most critical elements of the I-Corps Curriculum and Lean Launchpad methodology. Over the course of this 4-week program, teams will learn how to determine the market opportunity for their product or technology. 

     

    UPCOMING COHORTS

     

    APRIL COHORT DATES 

    April 10th from 9:30am-3:30pm, In-person 
    April 16th from 3:00-6:00pm, Virtual 
    April 23rd from 3:00-6:00pm, Virtual 
    April 30th from 3:00-6:00pm, Virtual 

     

    BENEFITS 
    The Propelus program is four weeks in length and includes an in-person kickoff and three webinars. The program helps researchers explore the customer perspective to inform how a discovery or innovation can become the basis of a successful startup or venture. Through the program, we provide training and grants to support team-based customer research aimed at investigating the viability and societal impact of scientific and technological discoveries. Participants can expect to receive:  

     

    TRAINING 

    1. Four sessions introducing the Lean LaunchPad methodology, which focuses on customer discovery research to evaluate the potential of your idea to solve problems and provide value.
    2. Funding: Stipends of up to $1,500 are provided to each selected team and can be used to fund expenses related to customer discovery research, including conferences and marketing tools.
    3. Resources: Selected teams will receive mentorship from seasoned entrepreneurs and innovators. Teams may also utilize many other programs offered by the Hub-affiliated institutions.
    4. Opportunities: Upon completion, select teams are eligible for the National NSF I-Corps Teams program which provides an intensive 7-week training course and a $50,000 grant. 

     

    WHO SHOULD APPLY? 

    To apply to the Propelus program, researchers must form a team of at least two people involved with the scientific or technological discovery. The team must include: 

    1. Entrepreneurial Lead (EL) — often a postdoctoral researcher, graduate student, or undergraduate student
    2. Technical Lead (TL) — usually a faculty member 

    Please note: Non-university teams are also eligible if they have a tech- enabled innovation.  

     

    FUNDING 

    Participants will be eligible to receive a stipend up to $1,500 to support costs incurred during customer discovery. Eligibility for this stipend is contingent upon full participation in each program session, office hours with instructors, and submission of a customer discovery log reflecting a minimum of 20 interviews. 

     

    APPLY 

    The application deadline for the April Propelus cohort is 11:59pm on March 16, 2026.

    Apply here: https://ccei.uconn.edu/programs/accelerate-uconn/ 

     

    Accelerate UConn is coordinated by the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CCEI) at UConn. CCEI was founded in 2007, and is a focal point for entrepreneurial activity within the University. CCEI supports student, faculty, staff, and alumni entrepreneurs across all academic departments, schools, and colleges. 

     

    For more info: ccei.uconn.edu 

     

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