I-Corps Fellowship

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For Aspiring Innovators

The goal of our fellowship program is to encourage students and Post-Docs to participate in an educational experience where they will explore innovation and commercialization processes while participating in an I-Corps Cohort. We hope to expand the pipeline of future innovators through this unique program where Fellows work alongside researchers to help understand customer needs. Selected fellows will receive a fellowship stipend.

There are 3 types of Fellowships available: 

Note: All first-time Fellows begin as Team Fellows.

• Team Fellow:  Supports team activities, willing to learn, assist with worksheets, customer discovery question creation and interviews, presentations, etc. Fellows will participate with the team on their customer discovery journey. See the Fellowship Roadmap for additional information.
• Cohort Fellow: (For returning Fellows):
  Supports I-Corps Leadership Team, will observe and contribute to cohort activities including digital communications, online event management, or other items that align with interest and expertise. Supports other fellows in the cohort.
• Ecosystem Fellow (For returning Fellows): 
  Helps with program marketing and outreach and helps increase the profile of I-Corps within the region. May provide peer-support for Fellows during a cohort

Interested parties must apply; those under consideration will have a short Zoom interview with one or more members of the I-Corps Fellowship leadership team.

*The Fellowship stipend is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF)

Fellowship Application Information

We are looking for the following information/skills to help us match you with the right team:

• Name, college or university, department, major, contact details
• Interest and enthusiasm in learning about commercialization/customer discovery
• Experience related to research, innovation, startups, prototypes/product development (not required)
• Excellent communication skills desired
• Prior leadership experience (optional)
• Up-to-date resume and/or LinkedIn profile

Notes:
1. If matched to an I-Corps team, all Fellows must be physically located in the US when participating in the I-Corps Fellowship Program
2. International Students: Certain visa restrictions may limit your ability to collect a fellowship stipend from this program. These restrictions can vary based on visa type and your sponsoring institution’s requirements. It is our recommendation that you consult with your University’s International Student Services Office prior to participating in this program to ensure you have the appropriate documentation in place, and to ensure you are eligible to receive a fellowship stipend. If it is determined that you are ineligible for a fellowship stipend, you may still apply to and participate in this program, but a payment will not be issued to you.

Unfortunately, we may not be able to reply to all applicants. If you are considered to meet the requirements of our program, we will contact you within 7 days of receiving your application to set up a Zoom call to meet you and learn about your areas of interest (in order to match you with a team). If contacted for an interview, please review the upcoming Cohort dates below to help us determine which Cohort(s) would best meet your schedule. Attending all I-Corps and Fellowship sessions is required.

Questions?  Email cbaiduc@udel.edu

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For a schedule of all upcoming Northeast I-Corps Hub Regional Programs accepting Fellows, see this link

Note: All programs follow a similar schedule to the Rutgers Program below.

Rutgers I-Corps Propelus Program (hybrid):
SAMPLE SCHEDULE

Dates and times for the Rutgers Fall 2024 Cohort are shown below; Most cohorts follow a similar but not identical schedule. Fellows will attend all four I-Corps sessions (shown in white) plus the three short Fellows only sessions (highlighted in gold).