ACCELERATE UCONN: NSF I-CORPS PROGRAM
Open to: Students, Faculty, Researchers, Staff, Alumni, Community Members
Accelerate UConn is the university's National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) program, designed to help teams turn promising scientific and technological concepts into viable ventures. Through this hands-on experience, you’ll dive into the core elements of the I-Corps curriculum and Lean Launchpad methodology — learning how to test assumptions, understand your customer, and refine your idea with real feedback. With guidance and support every step of the way, you’ll gain firsthand experience in entrepreneurship while exploring how your research, innovation, or discovery can make the leap from concept to marketplace.
TRAINING
Four sessions introducing the Lean LaunchPad methodology — focusing on customer discovery research to evaluate the potential to solve problems and provide value. View a sample course agenda.
FUNDING
Stipends of up to $1,500 are provided to each selected team and can be used to fund expenses related to customer discovery research, including conferences and marketing tools.
RESOURCES
Selected teams will receive mentorship from seasoned entrepreneurs and innovators. Teams may also utilize many other programs offered by Hub-affiliated institutions.
POST-PROGRAM
Upon completion, select teams are eligible for the National NSF I-Corps program, which provides an intensive 7-week training course and a $50,000 grant.
UPCOMING INFO SESSIONS
Discover UConn's NSF I-Corps program in an engaging one-hour virtual info session. Join the our lead instructors and program managers to explore the application process, teaching methodology, and program structure. Find out if your technology aligns with the program and uncover potential pathways for commercialization.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Each cohort provides hands-on training in the fundamental components of new venture creation and is delivered by experienced entrepreneurs and NSF trained instructors. Participants are provided with personalized coaching and feedback which will help them construct an evidence-based business model and market entry strategy. Participating teams will receive a $1,500 customer discovery stipend from the NSF upon successful completion.
APRIL 2026
DATES
Friday, April 10th from 9:30am-3:30pm, In-Person
Thursday, April 16th from 3-6pm, Virtual
Thursday, April 23rd from 3-6pm, Virtual
Thursday, April 30th 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.
- Funding: Stipends of up to $1,500 are provided to each selected team and can be used to fund expenses related to customer discovery research, including conferences and marketing tools.
- 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. Scroll to the FAQ's below for definitions of the above roles.
FUNDING
Participants will be eligible to receive a stipend up to $1,500 to support costs incurred during customer discovery. Eligibility for this stipend is contingent upon full participation in each program session, office hours with instructors, and submission of a customer discovery log reflecting a minimum of 20 interviews.
APPLY
The application deadline for this cohort closed on March 16, 2026.
MAY/JUNE 2026
DATES
Friday, May 29th from 9:30am-3:30pm, In-Person
Friday, June 5th from 9:30am-12:30pm, Virtual
Friday, June 12th from 9:30am-12:30pm, Virtual
Friday, June 26th from 9:30am-12:30pm, 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.
- Funding: Stipends of up to $1,500 are provided to each selected team and can be used to fund expenses related to customer discovery research, including conferences and marketing tools.
- 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. Scroll to the FAQ's below for definitions of the above roles.
FUNDING
Participants will be eligible to receive a stipend up to $1,500 to support costs incurred during customer discovery. Eligibility for this stipend is contingent upon full participation in each program session, office hours with instructors, and submission of a customer discovery log reflecting a minimum of 20 interviews.
APPLY
The application deadline for this cohort was 11:59pm on May 10, 2026.
NOVEMBER 2026
DATES
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.
- Funding: Stipends of up to $1,500 are provided to each selected team and can be used to fund expenses related to customer discovery research, including conferences and marketing tools.
- 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. Scroll to the FAQ's below for definitions of the above roles.
FUNDING
Participants will be eligible to receive a stipend up to $1,500 to support costs incurred during customer discovery. Eligibility for this stipend is contingent upon full participation in each program session, office hours with instructors, and submission of a customer discovery log reflecting a minimum of 20 interviews.
APPLY
The application deadline for this cohort is 11:59pm on October 19, 2026.
FAQs + NSF INFO
All applications will be reviewed by a panel of industry experts. Final selections will be made within a week of the application deadline, and all applicants will be notified of the decision. Final program admission decisions will be announced publicly during program dates.
Who Should Apply?
Accelerate UConn is open to UConn faculty, postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, and university alumni who are working on a scientific or technical discovery with commercial potential. We also encourage applications from local entrepreneurs, startup founders, and community members who have a technology or innovation they’d like to learn how to commercialize. If you’re ready to explore the market potential of your idea, this program is for you!
Entrepreneurial Team
Each team that applies should consist of:
Entrepreneurial Lead (EL): The EL is responsible for driving the process of customer discovery and business model development, and may also recruit additional people to participate in the team. On faculty-led teams, the EL is typically a postdoctoral researcher, graduate student, or undergraduate student, who possesses the relevant technical knowledge and a deep commitment to investigate the commercial landscape surrounding the innovation, and is responsible for leading the development of the business model for the product or technology proposed. On student, alumni or community member led teams, the EL is the member who acts as the point person during the length of the program, makes presentations on behalf of the group, and takes responsibility for group performance.
Technical Lead (TL): The TL is a faculty member that has led the development of a new product or technology, or has relevant knowledge about the problem the venture will solve. This person can act as the team’s Chief Technology Officer or advisor, and could also choose to take a more involved role in the development of the business strategy. On student, alumni or community member led teams, the TL does not need to be a faculty member, but rather is the member who has led the development of the product or technology, or has relevant knowledge about the problem the venture will solve.
Optional –
Industry Mentor: An Industry Mentor is typically someone with experience transitioning technology out of academic labs and into the marketplace, or with experience bringing new products to market within the industry that the team is trying to enter.
Are you looking for an Entrepreneurial Lead for your team? Reach out to alycia.chrosniak@uconn.edu. Interested in being an Entrepreneurial Lead for an existing team? Apply here.
Selection Criteria
Problem Definition: Does the team have a clear and broad understanding of the problem their product or technology seeks to solve? Have they clearly articulated the market or societal need they are filling? Is there a clear pain-point that their product is addressing?
Strength of Team: Does the team include the diversity of expertise necessary to accomplish its goals? Has the team engaged a strong group of advisors and/or partners? Does the team make a convincing presentation of the need for their product, and their dedication to the process of creating a new venture?
Technical Feasibility: Does the product or technology have the capability to produce the desired outcome or benefit? Is it technologically feasible? Can it be produced on a scale that will meet demand and solve the problem intended?
Innovation & Novelty: Does the product demonstrate the potential to significantly improve a process or system? Is the product or technology fundamentally different from existing solutions?
Timing + Commitments
- The EL and TL must attend and represent their team at all in-person and virtual meetings during the program. This is approximately a 15 hour commitment over the four weeks.
- Outside of meeting times, an additional 5-8 hours should be dedicated weekly to customer discovery and the recording of information gained through interviews.
- Each team is expected to complete a minimum of 20 customer discovery interviews by the end of the four weeks.
- Each team is expected to attend a minimum of two, 30 minute office hour sessions with their pod mentor.
In 2024, UConn joined the NSF Innovation Corps (I-CorpsTM) Northeast Hub.
The Northeast Hub is part of a nationwide NSF-funded network of universities formed to accelerate the economic impact of federally funded research – delivering benefits in health care, the environment, technology and other areas – while building skills and opportunities among researchers from all backgrounds, including those historically underrepresented in entrepreneurship. As part of the hub, UConn joins nine partner institutions including: Princeton University, University of Delaware, Rutgers University, Lehigh University, Temple University, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Rowan University, Delaware State University, Drexel University and Yale University.
Learn more here: icorpsnortheasthub.org
If you have questions about this program, please contact Outreach & Engagement Coordinator Michaela Hartl at michaela.hartl@uconn.edu or Assistant Director of Brand & Venture Development Alycia Chrosniak at alycia.chrosniak@uconn.edu.