Innovators to Entrepreneurs Act of 2020

II 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 3253 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 FEBRUARY 4, 2020 Mr. COONS (for himself and Mr. YOUNG) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To require the Director of the National Science Foundation to develop an I-Corps course to support commercializa- tion-ready innovation companies, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Innovators to Entre- 4 preneurs Act of 2020’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 (1) The National Science Foundation Innova- 8 tion Corps Program (hereinafter referred to as ‘‘I- 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:43 Feb 05, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3253.IS S3253 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 3253 IS Corps’’), created administratively by the Foundation 1 in 2011 and statutorily authorized in the American 2 Innovation and Competitiveness Act, has succeeded 3 in increasing the commercialization of Government- 4 funded research. 5 (2) I-Corps provides valuable entrepreneurial 6 education to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, 7 and other researchers, providing formal training for 8 scientists and engineers to pursue careers in busi- 9 ness, an increasingly common path for advanced de- 10 gree holders. 11 (3) The I-Corps Teams program is successful in 12 part due to its focus on providing the specific types 13 of education and mentoring entrepreneurs need 14 based on the early stage of their companies, however 15 the program does not provide similar support to 16 them at later stages. 17 (4) The success of I-Corps in the very early 18 stages of the innovation continuum should be ex- 19 panded upon by offering additional entrepreneurship 20 training to small businesses as they advance toward 21 commercialization. 22 (5) The excellent training made available to 23 grantees of participating agencies through the I- 24 Corps Program should be made available to all Fed- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:43 Feb 05, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3253.IS S3253 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 3253 IS eral grantees as well as other businesses willing to 1 pay the cost of attending such training. 2 (6) The success of the I-Corps Program at pro- 3 moting entrepreneurship within research institutions 4 and encouraging research commercialization has 5 been due in part to the National Science Founda- 6 tion’s efforts to date on building a national network 7 of science entrepreneurs, including convening stake- 8 holders, promoting national I-Corps courses, cata- 9 loguing best practices and encourage sharing be- 10 tween sites and institutions, and developing a men- 11 tor network. 12 (7) As the I-Corps Program continues to grow 13 and expand, the National Science Foundation should 14 maintain its focus on networking and information 15 sharing to ensure that innovators across the country 16 can learn from their peers and remain competitive. 17 SEC. 3. EXPANDED PARTICIPATION IN I-CORPS. 18 Section 601(c)(2) of the American Innovation and 19 Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 1862s–8(c)(2)) is amend- 20 ed by adding at the end the following: 21 ‘‘(C) ADDITIONAL PARTICIPANTS.— 22 ‘‘(i) ELIGIBILITY.—The Director, in 23 consultation with relevant stakeholders, as 24 determined by the Director, which may in- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:43 Feb 05, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3253.IS S3253 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 3253 IS clude Federal agencies, I-Corps regional 1 nodes, universities, and public and private 2 entities engaged in technology transfer or 3 commercialization of technologies, shall 4 provide an option for participation in an I- 5 Corps Teams course by— 6 ‘‘(I) Small Business Innovation 7 Research Program grantees; and 8 ‘‘(II) other entities, as deter- 9 mined appropriate by the Director. 10 ‘‘(ii) COST OF PARTICIPATION.—The 11 cost of participation by a Small Business 12 Innovation Research Program grantee in 13 such course may be provided— 14 ‘‘(I) through I-Corps Teams 15 grants; 16 ‘‘(II) through funds awarded to 17 grantees under the Small Business In- 18 novation Research Program or the 19 Small Business Technology Transfer 20 Program; 21 ‘‘(III) by the grantor Federal 22 agency of the grantee using funds set 23 aside for the Small Business Innova- 24 tion Research Program under section 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:43 Feb 05, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3253.IS S3253 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •S 3253 IS 9(f)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 1 U.S.C. 638(f)(1)); 2 ‘‘(IV) by the grantor Federal 3 agency of the grantee using funds set 4 aside for the Small Business Tech- 5 nology Transfer Program under sec- 6 tion 9(n)(1) of the Small Business 7 Act (15 U.S.C. 638(n)(1)); or 8 ‘‘(V) by the participating 9 teams.’’. 10 SEC. 4. I-CORPS COURSE FOR COMMERCIALIZATION-READY 11 PARTICIPANTS. 12 (a) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the I-Corps pro- 13 gram described in section 601(c) of the American Innova- 14 tion and Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 1862s–8(c)), the 15 Director shall develop an I-Corps course offered by I- 16 Corps regional nodes to support commercialization-ready 17 participants. Such course shall include skills such as at- 18 tracting investors, scaling up a company, and building a 19 brand. 20 (b) ENGAGEMENT WITH RELEVANT STAKE- 21 HOLDERS.—In developing the course under subsection (a), 22 the Director may consult with the heads of such Federal 23 agencies, universities, and public and private entities as 24 the Director determines to be appropriate. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:43 Feb 05, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3253.IS S3253 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •S 3253 IS (c) ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS.—The course developed 1 under subsection (a) shall— 2 (1) support participants that have completed an 3 I-Corps Teams course; and 4 (2) support participants that have made the de- 5 cision to take an innovation to market. 6 SEC. 5. REPORT. 7 Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 8 of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 9 shall submit to Congress a report containing an evaluation 10 of the I-Corps program described in section 601(c) of the 11 American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 12 1862s–8(c)). Such evaluation shall include an assessment 13 of the effects of I-Corps on— 14 (1) the commercialization of federally funded 15 research and development; 16 (2) the higher education system; and 17 (3) regional economies and the national econ- 18 omy. 19 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:43 Feb 05, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S3253.IS S3253 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS