This new initiative comes with a $225,000 award and will strengthen Texas Tech’s commitment to fostering technological innovation and entrepreneurship.
Texas Tech University is proud to announce its new role as a partner of the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps Hub West. The university’s Innovation Hub at Research Park will lead this exciting initiative, bolstered by a $225,000 award from the NSF I-Corps Hub West to fund the NSF I-Corps Program.
This initiative strengthens Texas Tech’s commitment to fostering deep technology innovation and creating an ecosystem of entrepreneurship.
“The Innovation Hub has fostered a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, and this partnership is indicative of the impact they’ve made on campus and in the West Texas region,” said Vice President for Research & Innovation Joseph Heppert.
The NSF I-Corps program provides entrepreneurial teams with essential skills to explore commercial applications for their technologies and engage with potential investors and customers.
The NSF I-Corps Hub West will be led by University of Southern California, University of Colorado Boulder and University of California, Los Angeles. Texas Tech will join other partners, including Colorado State University, California Institute of Technology, Colorado School of Mines, University of New Mexico, University of Utah, University of California, Riverside and University of California, Santa Barbara.
Together, these universities aim to advance technology commercialization by helping scientific and engineering teams translate their research breakthroughs into market-ready products and services. By joining this consortium, Texas Tech will help cultivate an entrepreneurial environment that drives economic growth and addresses critical societal needs.
"We are honored to join the NSF I-Corps Hub West as a partner institution, standing alongside some of the nation’s most respected research universities in advancing technology commercialization," said Taysha Williams, managing director of Texas Tech’s Innovation Hub. "This support from NSF allows us to bring vital resources in programming, mentorship and training to aspiring entrepreneurs. Together, we are creating pathways for groundbreaking research to be translated into real-world solutions that impact our world.”
Texas Tech’s Innovation Hub will host an I-Corps Regional program twice a year, offering tailored support to prepare teams for the Hub West’s regional initiatives and, ultimately, for the NSF National I-Corps program. Through this pathway, Texas Tech’s participants will have the opportunity to secure a $50,000 award for advanced customer discovery, enabling them to validate and refine their technologies for potential commercialization.
Through this partnership, Texas Tech aims to contribute meaningfully to NSF's mission of creating diverse, high-tech enterprises. The university will play a crucial role in the Hub West's collective goal to foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship that embraces the rich diversity of the Western United States.
About the Innovation Hub at Research Park
The Texas Tech University Innovation Hub at Research Park promotes innovation and entrepreneurship by providing facilities, resources and support for the university community and the greater West Texas region. Through partnerships, programs and industry connections, the Innovation Hub fosters an environment where research and technology can flourish and make a difference on a global scale.