The Office of the Vice President for Research at Saint Louis University (SLU) has announced that SLU has become the first university in the St. Louis region to achieve Innovation Corps (I-Corps) status.

Awarded by the National Science Foundation, the grant establishes the university as an I-Corp Site. This will not only contribute significantly to SLU’s strategic goal for the university to become “an innovator and entrepreneur in all that it does” but will help to deliver further innovation and entrepreneurship to the vibrant St. Louis ecosystem.

Through its I-Corps Site programs, SLU will help train the next generation of scientific leaders to develop the skills necessary to commercialize STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) technologies successfully and to tackle complex societal problems.

The university will provide infrastructure, advice, resources, networking opportunities and training to support the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) oriented ideas of at least 60 teams over a three year period. Through the program, each team will learn through Lean Startup methodology, what it takes to identify customer needs, achieve an impact with their innovation and follow the path most likely to bring their concepts to fruition.

“We are thrilled to have been chosen as an I-Corps Site by the National Science Federation,” said Ken Olliff, Vice President for Research at SLU. “We believe it will bring significant benefits not only to SLU faculty and students but also to our dynamic innovation communities in St. Louis.”

The I-Corps Site will also deliver innovation and entrepreneurship to underrepresented St. Louis communities in collaboration with Harris Stowe State University and other institutions. These collaborations will enhance and broaden St. Louis’ entrepreneurial community as a hub for creativity and innovation. The I-Corps Site will be operated by SLU’s Research Innovation Group in conjunction with SLU’s top ranked Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship. The program will run in addition to the University’s current SLUStart program to help grow its contribution to the Cortex Innovation Community and set the stage for new collaborative projects within it.

Funding for the I-Corps Site program begins October 1, 2018. For more information, visit www.slustart.com or email [email protected].