October 20, 2026
St. John’s University is joining a network of 12 area institutions in a program designed to shepherd research discoveries from the laboratory to the real world.
The University’s Venture & Innovation Center will become part of the US National Science Foundation’s Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) New York Region Hub, joining institutions such as team leader City University of New York, Columbia University, New York University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Stony Brook University. The immersive, entrepreneurial training program, established in 2011, facilitates the transformation of university-developed invention ideas to the commercial marketplace.
One hundred twenty-eight colleges and universities across 48 states are part of I-Corps’ 13 regional hubs. More than 2,500 inventor teams have participated since the program’s inception, helping launch 1,700 startups that have collectively received more than $7 billion in subsequent funding.
The New York Hub has produced innovative startups in the biotechnology, clean energy, health care, and quantum computing sectors.
“The partnership with I-Corps™ creates a ready-made pathway for the St. John’s community to continue developing their innovations to the point of commercial success,” said James M. Kinsley, M.B.A., VIC Director and Instructor of Management, Entrepreneurship, Consulting, and Operations at The Peter J. Tobin College of Business. “It will significantly enhance the tech-transfer function of the VIC, where inventions that might otherwise stay within the University can be brought to the benefit of the world.”
The VIC, which launched in January 2024, helps bring transformative product ideas created by members of the St. John’s community to market, providing entrepreneurs with business resources and product-development support, including creation space, marketing strategies, and even funding.
The VIC anchors the University’s commitment to business development and experiential learning with programs such as the annual Johnny’s Innovation Challenge seed money competition; the James and Eileen Christmas Business Plan Competition and Pitch Event; and the monthlong VIC Startup BootCamp, where participants receive structural guidance, design prototypes, and validate customer needs alongside industry mentors.
St. John’s entrepreneurs can now use the resources of the I-Corps™ New York Hub to bring those ideas to life, including training, funding, mentorship, stage scaling, and access to other regional networks. Grants can range from $3,000 to $1 million.
The University has in the past supported five national I-Corps inventor teams—three from The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies (CCPS) and two from the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (CPHS). Additionally, Syed Ahmad Chan Bukhari, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Division of Computer Science, Mathematics, and Science at CCPS and Director of Research, received an NSF Partnerships for Innovation-Technology Translation (PFI-TT) award for his work in developing an artificial intelligence solution to improve medical coding. The PFI-TT program funds the conversion of research projects into commercially marketable products.
Acceptance into I-Corps’ New York Region Hub should strengthen the entrepreneurial culture across the Queens, NY, campus by enhancing funding and grant eligibility, providing access to a collaborative alliance with other member institutions, mentoring, training, and more.
“Certainly, one of the reasons we have been chosen as a partner is because of the incredible work being done by our students and faculty, particularly in the health sciences and technology space,” said Simon G. Møller, Ph.D., Provost, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, and senior administrator for I-Corps™ at St. John’s. “We have very strong research programs across the institution with potential opportunities for would-be entrepreneurs.”
Regional NSF I-Corps™ hubs support the National Innovation Network, a nationwide collection of colleges and universities, research groups, entrepreneurs, and federal agencies. Together, they help academic researchers transform laboratory discoveries into commercial products and startups.
The I-Corps™ program primarily supports the commercialization of “deep technologies,” particularly those based in science and engineering. These often require more than five years to move from infancy to commercial viability. They also require significant up-front funding before revenue is generated.
Ariella Trotsenko, Tech Scout for the New York NSF I-Corps™ Hub, said St. John’s, and particularly the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (CPHS), does precisely that deep technology research.
“St. John’s brings many assets to the table,” Ms. Trotsenko said. “Particularly the groundbreaking work being done at CPHS, which fills a gap in Hub expertise. I look forward to seeing St. John’s positive impact on our I-Corps™ cohorts and broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.”