I-Corps Regional Courses: Hub Spark Online and Fusion

In the I-Corps regional Hub Spark Online course you will learn the customer discovery methodology and become eligible for further National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps programs by:

  • Talk to potential users, decision-makers, and buyers before you have built something
  • Test hypotheses about the problem to be solved
  • Reduce the risk of building something nobody wants

Hub Spark Online is a free, three-week course designed to help researchers and engineers explore the commercial potential of their innovations through the customer discovery process.

Participants who complete Hub Spark Online and are candidates for the National I-Corps program may qualify for the Fusion program. Fusion provides teams with a grant of up to $1,000 to support additional customer discovery efforts.

To learn more visit the NSF I-Corps Hub New England Programs webpage.

Program Objective

How the program works:

Hub Spark Online course begins with a virtual evening kickoff workshop where teams learn how to:

  • Identify their top customer segments
  • Develop hypotheses about the value proposition they offer each segment
  • Find and effectively interview potential customers about their problems/needs

Over the next three weeks, teams will speak with at least 12 potential customers. Each week they will have an office hour (scheduled during the first session) with an instructor to check-in and receive coaching.

The program wraps up with a final virtual workshop where teams present their findings, get more coaching, and learn about progressing their ideas.

Teams who complete this part of the program may continue to conduct additional customer discovery through Fusion program. The goal is to determine whether you are solving a real-world problem with a viable market opportunity.

Who should participate in the program:

Your I-Corps project must be based on new, innovative, and differentiating technology that could be a candidate for a future SBIR proposal. The program is open to individuals and teams across New England.

  • Current faculty, postdocs, students, and staff at UMass Lowell are eligible.

Note for Principal Investigators:

Researchers from your lab are encouraged to apply with any application of technology you would like to investigate in the course. Your personal participation is welcomed, but it is not required. We invite you to select a team member from your lab to participate in this program to explore the commercialization potential of your research.

Apply now by visiting the NSF I-Corps HUB New England Regional website's apply page.

What to learn more about NSF I-Corps?

Visit the National Science Foundation website to learn more about what NSF does and visit the NSF I-Corps Website to learn more about the I-Corps program.

Read the most recent NSF I-Corps Biennial Report (pdf).

What Participants have said about I-Corps:

  • “Speaking with experts can reveal much more than reading from news outlets and literary works.”
  • “Understand how to ask research-informing questions”
  • "This has not only refined our product but also prepared us for SBIR/STTR proposals and positioned us for additional funding through the National phase.”
  • “I wish I had learned this before I started my PhD!”

National I-Corps Teams Program

After completing Hub Spark Online and Fusion, teams may become eligible to participate in the NSF I-Corps Teams Program. This intensive seven-week program focuses on advancing customer discovery efforts. As part of the program, teams can receive up to $50,000 in funding. This immersive experience has been shown to significantly enhance the quality and competitiveness of SBIR/STTR proposals submitted by participants.

For those interested in applying to the National I-Corps Program after completing the I-Corps short program or the NE Hub Spark Online and Fusion programs, please contact Hakim Hammach, Associate Director, UMass Lowell's Office of New Venture Development by email: Hakim_Hammach@uml.edu.

To learn more about the program visit NSF I-Corps Teams website.