NSF I-Corps Regional Spark Program Information Session: Pre-Accelerator Opportunity for Innovators Across All Technology Domains, Featuring Our Fall BlueTech Cohort

Are you a faculty member, graduate student, or postdoc working on innovative research and wondering how to translate your ideas into real-world impact?

URI Innovations and the Brown University I-Corps Program invite you to a virtual info session on the National Science Foundation (NSF) New England I-Corps Hub Regional I-Corps Spark Program—an ideal pre-accelerator designed to help academic researchers evaluate the commercial potential of their work before launching a venture.

This session will highlight our upcoming Blue-Tech-specific cohort, while also covering pathways for researchers innovating across all other technical domains.

Why Join an I-Corps Spark Cohort?

Test Your Market: Learn how to assess commercial pathways and validate market demand for your research without leaving academia.

Funding & Mentorship: Discover how to access world-class entrepreneurial training, dedicated mentors, and up to $50,000 in NSF customer discovery funding.

Startup Readiness: Strengthen future SBIR/STTR proposals and prepare your team for top-tier accelerator programs.

Event Details
Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EST
Location: Virtual via Zoom (link provided upon registration)

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Sarah Biester at sarah_biester@brown.edu.
After registering, you will receive a calendar invitation with the Zoom details directly from Sarah.

We look forward to seeing you there!
Best regards,
The URI Innovations & Brown I-Corps Team

Register Here: 
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdUtm4viYKPXxHdakizt_Xby5R8wAJs0UuQZwO2NiFdmPhJMA/viewform?usp=preview