Research Commercialization/Start-Up

The University has many resources to support start-ups, entrepreneurship, and research commercialization. 

UMD I-Corps Program 

I-Corps is a National Science Foundation (NSF) program designed to foster, grow, and nurture national innovation ecosystems. The University of Maryland is the lead institution of the NSF I-Corps Hub: Mid-Atlantic Region and a member of the NSF National Innovation Network.

I-Corps provides real world training on how to incorporate innovations into market ready solutions to solve societal problems. The curriculum is based on the Lean Startup framework, through which researchers can better understand the market potential of an innovation and their next steps for commercialization.

Participating in an introductory I-Corps Course is a required step of commercializing technology at the University of Maryland. The program is comprised of two parts: the self-paced I-Corps Prep mini course, and the Mid-Atlantic I-Corps Customer Discovery Workshops. Participants do not need to start a company to apply or attend a workshop.

Sign-up for an info session to learn more!

Faculty & Graduate Student Startup Guide

Have an invention or a great idea for a company? Scroll down for our interactive guide for aspiring graduate student and faculty entrepreneurs at the University of Maryland. Many startup journeys may not be as linear as the steps in this guide. Feel free to use resources from different stages in this guide based on what is useful to your company now.

Additional Resources

• How to Bring Your Research to Market: Read more on advice for researchers new to tech transfer.
• A Primer on Commercialization Postdocs: A commercialization postdoc program might be exactly what you need to launch your career, as PhDs explore diverse career pathways.