Iowa State’s I-Corps Program

Iowa State’s I-Corps Program — Part Of The Great Lakes I-Corps Hub

What Is I-Corps?

The National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program is an initiative to transition NSF-funded research from the laboratory to a product in the marketplace.

I-Corps Sites act as a training ground for faculty, postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate students to learn how to increase the impact of their research by exploring the commercial potential of their research and technology.

Iowa State’s I-Corps Program

Iowa State became an I-Corps program in fall 2017. The program is a collaboration between the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations.

Iowa State’s I-Corps program aims to embed a stronger and more pervasive culture of entrepreneurship and innovation across the entire campus community. The Iowa State I-Corps program focuses on translating discoveries that reflect its strengths in engineering, biorenewables, materials science and agriculture, food and nutrition, and veterinary medicine.

The program enhances entrepreneurship and innovation already happening across campus, fosters connections with other Midwest I-Corps Sites, and helps strengthen the nation’s innovation fabric.

The four-week curriculum focuses on customer discovery to support the transition of ideas, devices, processes, or intellectual activities into the marketplace. This can be realized through the formation of new start-up businesses, licensing agreements, or identifying funding sources to support additional research.

How To Apply

To apply to participate in the Iowa State I-Corps program, complete the online registration form. Team structure for participation is flexible, but teams typically consist of:

• Entrepreneurial lead: Graduate student or post-doc
• Academic lead: Faculty member or other qualified scientist
• Mentor: Experienced or emerging entrepreneur

In addition to offering industry exposure and entrepreneurial training for participating teams, the Iowa State I-Corps program will provide advice, resources, networking opportunities, and infrastructure for exploring commercialization opportunities, as well as connections to resources and programming available through the regional Great Lakes I-Corps Hub and the local innovation ecosystem.

Teams that complete the I-Corps program are eligible to receive minigrants to support continued customer discovery through the Great Lakes Region I-Corps Hub.

Additional questions? Contact icorps@iastate.edu

Iowa State Program Team

Instructors

I-Corps Program Dates

Course Schedule – 2026

• Spring 2026
  • 2/25, 3/11, 3/6, 4/1
  • Class sessions 5:30pm CT – 7:30pm CT
  • Registration is open for the Spring cohort.
• Summer 2026
  • 5/22, 6/5, 6/19
  • Class sessions 5:30pm CT – 7:30pm CT
  • Registration is not currently open for the summer cohort.
• Fall 2026
  • 10/21, 11/4, 11/18
  • Class sessions 5:30pm CT – 7:30pm CT
  • Registration is not currently open for the fall cohort.

Questions can be directed to Kris Johansen at kajohans@iastate.edu.

Iowa State I-Corps in the News

I-Corps Experience Helped Chart 3D Health Solutions’ Path to Startup Success

I-Corps Proves a Training Ground for Success, From Industry to Startup

Innovation Corps at Iowa State: Helping Researchers Turn Ideas Into Companies

Momentum, ambitions grow for Iowa State startups, with a boost from ISU I-Corps