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UF Innovate Pathways

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UF Innovate Pathways

UF Innovate | Pathways serves to empower innovators with training and resources to support innovatio

07/16/2026

Through National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps, University of Florida researchers gain more than customer discovery experience. They also gain mentors, feedback, accountability, and impartial perspectives that help strengthen both the innovation and the team behind it.

Former NSF I-Corps participants shared that mentorship provided valuable outside perspectives, improved their approach to customer discovery, and helped them better understand how investors, stakeholders, and customers evaluate new innovations.

From refining interview strategies to seeing innovations through the eyes of market stakeholders, NSF I-Corps helps innovators grow through collaboration and community.

Interested in learning alongside mentors, researchers, and innovators across disciplines? Explore upcoming NSF I-Corps opportunities at UF.

07/13/2026

Big ideas need more than good research — they need real-world validation. 💡

The National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps Regional Course offers hands-on training for researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators interested in customer discovery and early-stage commercialization.

Through six sessions, participants will explore how to test assumptions, refine value propositions, and identify real market opportunities for their ideas.

If you’re ready to explore what’s possible for your technology or research, this is the place to start.

Apply Here 🔗: https://innovate.research.ufl.edu/nsf-i-corps-regional-course/

07/06/2026

Interested in exploring the real-world potential of your research or innovation? 🔭

Join us for the Virtual Intro to National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps Workshop on August 25 and learn how NSF I-Corps helps researchers and innovators explore customer needs, validate ideas, and better understand commercialization pathways.

If you’re planning to apply for the NSF I-Corps Regional Course this fall and have not yet attended an Intro Workshop, this session is an important first step!

Already applied for the Fall Regional Course? Make sure any teammates who have not yet attended an Intro Workshop clear their schedule and register. This is the final Intro Workshop before the Fall Regional Course begins.

Open to the University of Florida faculty, postdocs, students, staff, and community innovators.

RSVP here 🚀: https://innovate.research.ufl.edu/intro-to-nsf-i-corps-workshop/

07/02/2026

Great innovation starts with great conversations. 💡💬

Through National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps, University of Florida inventors learn how to engage directly with customers, stakeholders, and decision-makers using customer methodology. These conversations often uncover realities that cannot be learned in the lab alone.

Former NSF I-Corps participants shared that customer discovery challenged their presumptions, reshaped how they approached innovation, and revealed the importance of grounding decisions in real-world feedback rather than internal perspectives. Many described the interview process as an eye-opening experience that helped them better understand customer needs, market realities, and barriers to adoption.

From hypothesis testing to customer interviews, NSF I-Corps helps innovators build evidence-driven pathways toward real-world impact.

Interested in learning how customer discovery can shape your innovation journey? Explore upcoming NSF I-Corps opportunities at UF.

06/29/2026

Meet National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps Faculty Lead 🚀

Let us introduce you to Benjamin Lok, Ph.D., who helps researchers identify potential real-world applications for their work and better understand who may benefit from their innovations.

Benjamin serves as Faculty Lead for the NSF I-Corps Regional Course at the University of Florida. A professor in UF’s Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering, he works closely with faculty innovators to explore commercialization pathways, customer discovery, and the broader impact potential of emerging technologies and research.

Benjamin also brings firsthand entrepreneurial experience to the program. As a former I-Corps participant and co-founder of Shadow Health, an educational health tech company, he has navigated the full innovation lifecycle—from developing research-based ideas to commercialization, technology transfer, and acquisition.

With more than 22 years of experience at UF, Benjamin brings extensive experience mentoring interdisciplinary research, innovation, and technology-driven collaboration across academia and industry.

Through NSF I-Corps, he helps researchers move beyond the lab by exploring how their ideas can address real-world needs and create meaningful impact.

Join NSF I-Corps and explore how your research can create real-world impact! 👩‍🔬👨‍🔬

06/22/2026

What’s the next move for your innovation? 🧪🚀

Our virtual Intro to National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps Workshop is happening tomorrow, June 23, from 12–1 PM!

This is your chance to learn how the NSF I-Corps Regional Course, customer discovery, and commercialization-focused training can help you validate your research and identify real-world market opportunities.

Ready to transform your research into real-world impact? This workshop is a great way to get started—register NOW to save your spot before time runs out!

RSVP here: https://innovate.research.ufl.edu/intro-to-nsf-i-corps-workshop/

06/18/2026

Applications are now open for the Fall National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps Regional Course at the University of Florida! 🚀

Designed for researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators, the NSF I-Corps Regional Course helps participants better understand customer needs, validate ideas through customer discovery, and explore commercialization opportunities.
Beginning in late September, the program will feature six interactive sessions focused on customer discovery, product-market fit, and early-stage commercialization strategies.

Whether you’re developing a technology, advancing research with commercial potential, or exploring a new idea, this course can help you take the next step beyond the lab.

Applications are due August 28.

📌 Learn more and apply: https://innovate.research.ufl.edu/nsf-i-corps-regional-course/

06/16/2026

The virtual Intro to NSF I-Corps Workshop is happening next week! 🔭

On June 23rd (from 12-1 PM), innovators from across University of Florida and the community are invited to learn how National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps supports idea validation through customer discovery and commercialization-focused training.

If you’re planning to apply for the fall NSF I-Corps Regional Course, this workshop is an important first step. Register now and get prepared.

RSVP here: https://innovate.research.ufl.edu/intro-to-nsf-i-corps-workshop/

06/12/2026

Innovation does not start with having all the answers. Sometimes, it starts with an “aha” moment. 💡

Through the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps Regional Course, researchers and innovators have "the mindset shift" moment and begin testing ideas through real customer conversations, feedback, and validation. Along the way, many researchers discover that assumptions are not always reality, that customers may value different things than expected, and that decision-makers are not always the end users.

Former NSF I-Corps participants shared that the program challenged their assumptions, shifted their thinking from technology-first to customer-focused innovation, and revealed how real customer conversations can reshape both ideas and commercialization strategies.

From assumptions to action, I-Corps Regional Course helps innovators better understand the real-world needs behind their technologies.

Interested in learning how customer discovery can strengthen the real-world impact of your research or innovation? Keep an eye on upcoming NSF I-Corps opportunities at the University of Florida!

06/10/2026

Exciting opportunities are ahead for the University of Florida innovators working to move breakthrough technologies from the lab into real-world use. 🚀

The NobleReach Foundation recently selected the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps Southeast Regional Hub for its Science to Venture (S2V) pilot, an NSF-sponsored initiativedesigned to strengthen the pipeline of critical technologies for U.S. national security.

Deep-tech translation is essential to national security, but moving promising innovations from discovery to adoption requires more than great science. It also requires the right networks, talent, resources, and connections.

“This pilot helps address a key need by strengthening the supporting networks, talent, and resources, and the connective tissue between them, that enable promising innovations to move from discovery to adoption,” said Dr. Erwin Gianchandani, NSF Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships.

During a recent visit to UF, NobleReach met with researchers developing technologies in semiconductors, photonics and optics, and space and aerospace. Selected UF teams will receive tailored commercialization guidance at no cost, helping them explore pathways toward viable ventures and licensed technologies.

📌 Learn more about the initiative: https://noblereach.org/news/nsf-i-corps-hubs-announcement/

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Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

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https://innovate.research.ufl.edu/pathways/

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