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I-Corps Fellowship

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For Aspiring Innovators

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The goal of our fellowship program is to encourage students, especially those from underrepresented groups*, to participate in an educational experience where they will explore innovation and commercialization processes while participating in an I-Corps Cohort. Selected fellows will receive a fellowship stipend.

There are 2 types of Fellowships available: 

  • 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 and helps increase the profile of I-Corps within the region.

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) with a goal of broadening participation for those whose representation in STEM employment and science and engineering education is smaller than their representation in the U.S. population. This includes women, persons with disabilities, Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, and American Indians or Alaska Natives.

Chloe Conover
Materials Science & Engineering, Rutgers
GS-LSAMP

My opinions were valued even though I was the youngest member of the team. I learned how to conduct professional interviews and to be brief. I am definitely more passionate about getting a patent.”

— Chloe Conover, I-Corps Fellow —


The I-Corps team is accepting Fellowship applications for upcoming cohorts in 2024.

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, and demographics
  • 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
Apply to Be a Fellow

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 the I-Corps Sessions is required.

Questions? Email I-corps@research.rutgers.edu

Upcoming Northeast I-Corps Hub Propelus Programs

1. Rutgers Hybrid Cohort (May-June 2024):

I-Corps session dates(Thursdays): May 23 (in-person), May 30 & June 6 (virtual ), June 20 (in-person)
Fellowship sessions: (All virtual) Thurs. May 16, Mon. June 3, and Wed., June 26

All dates and times for the May/June Rutgers Cohort are shown below; Fellows will attend all four I-Corps sessions (shown in white) plus the three short Fellows only sessions (highlighted in gold). Sessions shown in light green are optional.


2. Cohort 16 – virtual (Spring 2024):

I-Corps session dates: Mon. July 15, Thurs. July 18, Thurs. July 25 and Thurs. Aug. 8.
Fellowship sessions: Thurs. July 11, Mon, July 22 and Thurs. Aug. 15

All dates and times for Cohort 16 are shown below; Fellows will attend all four I-Corps sessions (shown in white) plus the three short Fellows only sessions (highlighted in gold). Sessions shown in green are optional. Future cohorts will have a similar schedule (days of the week and start times may vary).

Future Cohort dates will be available here under Events and Upcoming Regional Programs.

Note: Periodically, we may also be looking for select fellows to participate on National I-Corps teams. Details on the National I-Corps program can be found here.