Source Industry Mentors for the I-Corps program §
Pattern Summary §
Use internal university connections to source industry mentors who can commit to the 40 hour mentoring program requirement needed for the NSF I-Corps training program.
Problem / Challenge §
NSF I-Corps program funding requires applicants to set up their own I-Corps Teams consisting of a technical lead, entrepreneurial lead and an industry mentor.
Faculty may face significant challenges in sourcing industry mentors with the availability and/or expertise who can provide 40 hours of guidance throughout the seven week intensive entrepreneurial training program.
Pattern Category §
- Demonstrating value as an OSPO
- Education & Skills
- Funding & Financial Support
- Open Source Sustainability
- Promoting Best Practices
- Supporting OSS development
- Working with Tech Transfer / External Partners
Context §
A university or research institution based in the United States.
Researcher(s) from the university are eligible to apply for the I-Corps program but are having difficulties in finding an appropriate industry mentor.
Forces §
An OSPO with the capacity to source mentors on behalf of I-Corps applicants or with the capacity to participate in the program.
Solution §
Engage with the institution's existing innovation and industry infrastructure to source mentors through warm introductions or established relationships through the following channels:
- Technology Transfer Office (TTO): Leverage relationships with industry partners, licensing contacts and entrepreneurs who have previously commercialized university technologies.
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centers: Colleagues based in these centers may be accepted as industry mentors. Staff will also have contacts and relationships with industry mentors from relevant fields.
- Industry Relations/Corporate Partnerships: Advisory boards, research sponsors, and strategic partnership contacts may also yield mentors.
- Alumni Networks: Entrepreneurial alumni (particularly those in startup ecosystems or corporate innovation roles) may have a particular interest in participating as industry mentors.
- Existing Entrepreneurship Programs: Advisory board members, guest lecturers and faculty based in the institution’s business schools, incubators, accelerators and other entrepreneurship initiatives may provide a useful source of mentors.
- Faculty-Industry Connections: Explore faculty consulting relationships, sabbatical contacts and collaborative research partners.
Other actions to consider §
- Establish a mentor ‘database’ with expertise areas, availability windows and a log of when they were approached to participate.
- Develop a brief information guide explaining the I-Corps program, requirements and time commitments.
- Create a standardized industry mentor profile template with the information required for the I-Corps executive summary and proposal.
- Devise a process for recognizing and rewarding industry mentors who participate.
Resulting Context §
Leveraging established networks (over cold outreach) to source mentors is likely to reduce recruitment time.
Systematic relationship development should support the creation of a sustainable mentor pipeline.
Offering support with I-Corps proposals develops and strengthens relationships with colleagues, faculty, researchers and students.
Additional learning from Carnegie Mellon University OSPO §
As a staff member of the OSPO, I was able to make the case for applying as the industry mentor. I didn’t need ‘a ton’ of industry experience to fully participate and I was able to support each group to make the connections needed for their required short interviews.
I would say that it was definitely valuable to go through the process as an industry mentor and find out what the training entails.
Additional learning from OpenSource@Stanford §
We relied on personal networks and connections made through our Maintainers & Contributors Roundtable program.
We found that retired industry experts had more time and availability to commit to the program.
Additional Learning from University of California Santa Cruz §
We are working with our Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub staff. They can be part of the team and act as the industry mentor. Our folks have previous I-Corps experience so it is really valuable to have them on the team
Known Instances §
- CMU Open Source Program Office, CMU Libraries, Carnegie Mellon University
- OpenSource@Stanford, Stanford Data Science Center for Open and Reproducible Science (CORES), Leland Stanford Junior University
- UCSC OSPO, University of California, Santa Cruz, UC OSPO Network
References §
Contributors & Acknowledgement §
In alphabetical order
- Ciara Flanagan, https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3153-7673
- Stephanie Lieggi, University of California Santa Cruz, https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5647-6540
- Tom Hughes, Carnegie Mellon University, https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7516-3687
- Zach Chandler, Stanford University, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2402-9839](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2402-9839
Special thanks to Jeffrey Young (Georgia Tech OSPO) for kickstarting a group discussion on sourcing industry mentors for the I-Corps program.