Title: Innovators to Entrepreneurs Act of 2019
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Innovators to Entrepreneurs Act of 2019
This bill expands eligibility for the Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program and requires development of an I-Corps course to support commercialization-ready participants.
The bill requires the National Science Foundation (NSF) to allow grantees of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and other entities to participate in I-Corps courses. The cost of participation by such a grantee in a course may be furnished
The NSF shall develop an I-Corps course, to be offered by I-Corps regional nodes, to support commercialization-ready participants. The course shall support participants that have completed an I-Corps course and participants that have made the decision to market an innovation.
The Government Accountability Office shall report on the I-Corps Program, including by assessing the effects of the I-Corps on the commercialization of federally funded research and development, the higher education system, regional economies, and the national economy.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 118 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 118

 To require the Director of the National Science Foundation to develop 
    an I-Corps course to support commercialization-ready innovation 
                   companies, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 15, 2019

 Mr. Coons (for himself and Mr. Young) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Director of the National Science Foundation to develop 
    an I-Corps course to support commercialization-ready innovation 
                   companies, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Innovators to Entrepreneurs Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The National Science Foundation Innovation Corps 
        Program (hereinafter referred to as ``I-Corps''), created 
        administratively by the Foundation in 2011 and statutorily 
        authorized in the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, 
        has succeeded in increasing the commercialization of 
        Government-funded research.
            (2) I-Corps provides valuable entrepreneurial education to 
        graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and other researchers, 
        providing formal training for scientists and engineers to 
        pursue careers in business, an increasingly common path for 
        advanced degree holders.
            (3) The I-Corps Teams program is successful in part due to 
        its focus on providing the specific types of education and 
        mentoring entrepreneurs need based on the early stage of their 
        companies, however the program does not provide similar support 
        to them at later stages.
            (4) The success of I-Corps in the very early stages of the 
        innovation continuum should be expanded upon by offering 
        additional entrepreneurship training to small businesses as 
        they advance toward commercialization.
            (5) The excellent training made available to grantees of 
        participating agencies through the I-Corps Program should be 
        made available to all Federal grantees as well as other 
        businesses willing to pay the cost of attending such training.
            (6) The success of the I-Corps Program at promoting 
        entrepreneurship within research institutions and encouraging 
        research commercialization has been due in part to the National 
        Science Foundation's efforts to date on building a national 
        network of science entrepreneurs, including convening 
        stakeholders, promoting national I-Corps courses, cataloguing 
        best practices and encourage sharing between sites and 
        institutions, and developing a mentor network.
            (7) As the I-Corps Program continues to grow and expand, 
        the National Science Foundation should maintain its focus on 
        networking and information sharing to ensure that innovators 
        across the country can learn from their peers and remain 
        competitive.

SEC. 3. EXPANDED PARTICIPATION IN I-CORPS.

    Section 601(c)(2) of the American Innovation and Competitiveness 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1862s-8(c)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
                    ``(C) Additional participants.--
                            ``(i) Eligibility.--The Director, in 
                        consultation with relevant stakeholders, as 
                        determined by the Director, which may include 
                        Federal agencies, I-Corps regional nodes, 
                        universities, and public and private entities 
                        engaged in technology transfer or 
                        commercialization of technologies, shall 
                        provide an option for participation in an I-
                        Corps Teams course by--
                                    ``(I) Small Business Innovation 
                                Research Program grantees; and
                                    ``(II) other entities, as 
                                determined appropriate by the Director.
                            ``(ii) Cost of participation.--The cost of 
                        participation by a Small Business Innovation 
                        Research Program grantee in such course may be 
                        provided--
                                    ``(I) through I-Corps Teams grants;
                                    ``(II) through funds awarded to 
                                grantees under the Small Business 
                                Innovation Research Program or the 
                                Small Business Technology Transfer 
                                Program;
                                    ``(III) by the grantor Federal 
                                agency of the grantee using funds set 
                                aside for the Small Business Innovation 
                                Research Program under section 9(f)(1) 
                                of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
                                638(f)(1));
                                    ``(IV) by the grantor Federal 
                                agency of the grantee using funds set 
                                aside for the Small Business Technology 
                                Transfer Program under section 9(n)(1) 
                                of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
                                638(n)(1)); or
                                    ``(V) by the participating 
                                teams.''.

SEC. 4. I-CORPS COURSE FOR COMMERCIALIZATION-READY PARTICIPANTS.

    (a) In General.--In carrying out the I-Corps program described in 
section 601(c) of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 
U.S.C. 1862s-8(c)), the Director shall develop an I-Corps course 
offered by I-Corps regional nodes to support commercialization-ready 
participants. Such course shall include skills such as attracting 
investors, scaling up a company, and building a brand.
    (b) Engagement With Relevant Stakeholders.--In developing the 
course under subsection (a), the Director may consult with the heads of 
such Federal agencies, universities, and public and private entities as 
the Director determines to be appropriate.
    (c) Eligible Participants.--The course developed under subsection 
(a) shall--
            (1) support participants that have completed an I-Corps 
        Teams course; and
            (2) support participants that have made the decision to 
        take an innovation to market.

SEC. 5. REPORT.

    Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a 
report containing an evaluation of the I-Corps program described in 
section 601(c) of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 
U.S.C. 1862s-8(c)). Such evaluation shall include an assessment of the 
effects of I-Corps on--
            (1) the commercialization of Federally funded research and 
        development;
            (2) the higher education system; and
            (3) regional economies and the national economy.

SEC. 6. FUNDING.

    (a) Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021.--Out of amounts otherwise 
authorized for the National Science Foundation, there is authorized to 
be appropriated a total of $5,000,000 for fiscal years 2020 and 2021 to 
carry out the activities described in section 4 and the amendment made 
by section 3.
    (b) Limitation.--No additional funds are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act, 
and this Act and such amendments shall be carried out using amounts 
otherwise available for such purpose.
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