Research, Funding, and Awards

  • Apply for UConns 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.

     

    FEBRUARY COHORT DATES

    Friday, February 19 from 9am-3:30pm, In-Person

    Thursday, February 25 from 3-6pm, Virtual

    Thursday, March 4 from 3-6pm, Virtual

    Thursday, March 11 from 3-6pm, 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: 

    • 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.

    • Resources: Selected teams will receive mentorship from seasoned entrepreneurs and innovators. Teams may also utilize many other programs offered by the Hub-affiliated institutions.

    • 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:

    • Entrepreneurial Lead (EL) — often a postdoctoral researcher, graduate student, or undergraduate student

    • Technical Lead (TL) — usually a faculty member

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

     

    APPLY

    The application deadline for the February Propelus cohort is 11:59pm on January 25th, 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

    For more information, contact: Alycia Chrosniak at alycia.chrosniak@uconn.edu / (860) 728-2101