The NSF I-Corps program at the University of Iowa, led by the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC), helps researchers, innovators, and early-stage startups explore the commercial potential of their work and make a real impact in the world. Through hands-on customer discovery and the Lean Startup approach, participants learn how to test assumptions, refine their value propositions, and better understand the people they aim to serve.

This four-week program is open to faculty, graduate students, staff, and entrepreneurs developing STEM-based innovations or research-driven ideas. Participants work alongside experienced instructors and mentors to gain insights that shape smarter decisions around product development and market fit. By completing the I-Corps program, teams are better prepared to pursue funding opportunities from pitch competitions, the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), investors, and federal programs such as SBIR and STTR.
If you’re ready to move your idea beyond the lab and into the world, I-Corps can help you take that first critical step.

Learning Objectives

• Familiarize oneself with Lean LaunchPad concepts and tools like customer discovery, ecosystem mapping, and the Value Proposition Canvas.
• Understanding customers’ problems (“pain points”) from their perspective.
• Mapping the customer ecosystem to comprehend customer roles, requirements, and decision processes.
• Establishing connections with the commercial ecosystem, including customers, suppliers, and funders, for innovation.

Course Benefits

• Exploring pathways to startup launch.
• Evaluating the potential of research discoveries or technologies.
• Discovering the societal impact of innovations as usable technologies.
• Enhancing research proposals for securing funding.
• Obtaining eligibility to apply for $50,000 grant from the National NSF I-Corps team grant.

Course Schedule

All meetings will be held in person, Mondays from 4-6 pm CT, July 7, 14, 21, 28.