The NSF I-Corps Hub Mid-Atlantic Region hosted a special event for University of Maryland faculty and graduate students, and regional companies on January 29, 2024 titled “Innovation & Broader Impact in Research, and NSF Innovation Grants.”

The event, hosted at UMD, was designed for researchers interested in exploring spinout, startup, or other commercial opportunities for their research projects.

UMD Aerospace Engineering Professor and Chair ​Alison Flatau shared how resources like NSF’s I-Corps program help researchers transform innovations into successful products and services.

Dean Chang, UMD chief innovation officer and Mid-Atlantic I-Corps Hub lead PI, and ​Dan Kunitz, director of Mtech Ventures and Mid-Atlantic I-Corps Hub executive director and co-PI, discussed workshops and funding opportunities, including:

• ​I-Corps Prep: a short, two-part course that teaches proven, evidence-based methods for success as an entrepreneur
• ​I-Corps Teams: a $50,000 NSF grant to explore commercialization
• ​TEDCO MII: a $115,000 TEDCO Maryland Innovation Initiative grant awarded through the UMD startup support team
• ​America's Seed Fund: up to $2 million available through NSF's SBIR grant program

Lunch and networking followed.