You can contact Marie Christensen at mej@ucsd.edu or complete the following Mentor Interest Form.

The BootCamp and course are geared towards Jacob Master of Science, Master of Engineering and graduate engineering students. However, the workshop is open to anyone and you can apply through the Rady School of Management website.

No, you do have the opportunity to peruse the Office of Innovation licensed technology database for an idea to develop for commercialization or join a team that has successfully pitched a concept to Lab-to-Market.

The program is nine months and the workshop, which is conducted prior to the fall quarter, is 6 weeks and may cover weekends.

The program is $300.00 for the workshop, but there may be an additional cost of $150.00 for books and materials. There is no cost for the Certificate Program for Jacobs School of Engineering Master and Graduate students, which includes the Lab-to-Market course with the Rady School of Management.

Limited scholarships are available for Graduate students through the Shah Family Entrepreneurial Fellowship Fund and Boni Fellowship Fund. In addition to being merit-based, you can also win the scholarship through evidence of prior entrepreneurial activities.

Anyone with a unique idea and a team of at least 2 people can submit an application. Any current student, faculty or staff of UC San Diego is welcomed to apply.

The format of the class is geared towards creating a team, and oftentimes, the work is more than one person can handle. We encourage a team for support within and outside the classroom environment.

No, it does not. We do like the ideas to be unique or at least have a unique perspective on execution of product or service. For your protection, you should consider disclosing, but it’s not required.

The cohorts are at least 4 weeks long with homework prior to the first class.

Applications for the National I-Corps is done on a rolling basis. If your innovation did not result from a NSF Grant, you will need to have participated in the local or regional I-Corps site or Node and get a recommendation from a faculty member. Send your executive summary along with a letter of recommendation to icorps-apply@nsf.gov. Please click on the following link to get the National I-Corps FAQs.

To start the application process the I-Corps Team should email an Executive Summary (as outlined in Section II-PROGRAM DESCRIPTION) to icorps-apply@nsf.gov for review.

As described in the solicitation under Section II-PROGRAM DESCRIPTION, here are the next steps to start the process to be considered for the I-Corps Teams Program:

1. Form your team (see below).
2. Prepare a two-page Executive Summary that describes the following: Team Members. Composition and roles (Entrepreneurial Lead, Technical Lead, I-Corps Teams Mentor, plus any additional co-Entrepreneurial Leads, co-Technical Leads, or co-I-Corps Teams Mentors) of the team members proposing to undertake the commercialization feasibility research. Provide a few sentences on each team member describing their current position and background relevant to the proposed I-Corps project.

The Entrepreneurial Lead (EL) could be a Post-Doctoral scholar, graduate or other student or other personnel with relevant knowledge of the technology and a deep commitment to investigate the commercial landscape surrounding the innovation. The Entrepreneurial Lead should also be capable and have the will to support the transition of the technology, should the I-Corps project demonstrate the potential for commercial viability.

The I-Corps Teams Mentor (IM) will typically be an experienced entrepreneur with proximity to the institution and experience in transitioning technology out of Academic labs. The I-Corps Teams Mentor must be a third-party resource and may be recommended by the proposing institution. The I-Corps Mentor will be responsible for advising the team through the I-Corps process and helping the team navigate the business ecosystem in the specific application area(s).

The Technical Lead (TL) will typically be a faculty member, senior research scientist or postdoctoral scholar with deep and direct technical expertise in the actual core technology about which the I-Corps team is exploring commercial potential. Typically the Technical Lead will also serve as the proposal Principal Investigator (PI).

1. Proposal Principal Investigator: Proposal Principal Investigator (PI) and a brief description of their connection to the team
2. Lineage: Relevant current/previous NSF awards establishing team eligibility
3. Current Plan: Brief description of the current commercialization plan
4. Application/Market: Brief description of the potential commercial applications
5. Technology: Brief description of the core technology
6. Current Plan: Brief description of the current commercialization plan

Forward the Executive Summary to icorps-apply@nsf.gov for review. Please click on the following link to get the full list of National I-Corps FAQs.

The MedTech teams can be as early in the concept stage but must have some due diligence completed such as competitive analysis. The program is open to early-stage UCSD Alum Founders, students, faculty and affiliated startups.

Currently, applications are accepted 2x a year for the spring and fall cohorts. You can visit the MedTech Accelerator webpage for more information.

Fully formed teams are encouraged to apply. University IP is not needed, but it is always good to disclose your idea to protect yourself.

Upon review of your application, you will be contacted for more information or to schedule an interview.

The applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Apply at any time.

There may be grant funding that is based upon the technology and the level of development of the startup.

IGE will provide mentoring and resources to help bring your product/idea to market.

Teams are accepted into a 6-month program which can be extended to one year.

Currently, we are not accepting applications for the Technology Accelerator.  If you would like to be informed once the application process is open, please complete this Technology Accelerator Interest Form.

I-Corps Mentors are advisors that have two primary roles. First, by being a third-party resource for the team, the mentor can help the team recognize and reduce confirmation bias during the customer discovery process. In this role, the I-Corps Mentor is in some ways an extension of the I-Corps Teaching Team in helping the team absorb and apply the relevant lessons. Second, the I-Corps Mentor should be someone that has industry contacts and knows the ecosystem of the target market area. I-Corps Teams will be interviewing more than 100 potential customers and potential partners in person. A good mentor can help the team find the right people to interview.

All of our mentors are entrepreneurs who have extensive experience in startups, as founders or senior management, who provide guidance and feedback to our students and startup teams. Some are also instructors who teach workshops and offer office hours to our students and start-up teams. Mentors can be either business and/or technology advisors. Finally, some mentors function as domain experts advising teams and students on specific technologies in areas of interest.