SMART START: Designing impact-driven projects

The FIE conference has throughout its history emphasized work at the frontiers of education. This pre-conference workshop reflects a policy shift at the National Science Foundation, Department of Education, and Department of Defense, and others who have adopted the I-Corps™ model to extend the longevity and the value of initially funded projects. This cutting-edge workshop introduces the core features of the Lean Startup process; namely, (1) search for a sustainable and scalable model using the Business Model Canvas, (2) Customer discovery, and (3) Agile engineering (i.e., iterate and increment towards an appropriate product, program or service) - all of which have been identified as essential for maximizing the longevity and impact of research projects and products. SMART START resonates with the conference theme - Educating Our Future, Honoring Our History - honoring the tradition of excellence in engineering innovation while exploring a new paradigm that strives to build impact into earlier stages of research. The workshop will provide participants (a) a framework to think about how to discover customer requirements, (b) how to sustain and scale STEM education innovations, (c) exposure to the NSF I-Corps™ program, and (d) an opportunity to connect and engage with peers interested in the increasing the impact of their research.