Solve real life, pressing issues faced by US government agencies alongside field experts while learning and applying best practices of innovation and entrepreneurship
Open and welcome to students from all disciplines and backgrounds!
Spring Quarter 2022 Dates: March 30, 2022 - May 25, 2022
Wednesdays, 4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
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AIP 197: 4 units
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10 weekly class meetings (March 30, 2022 - May 25, 2022)
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Customer Discovery Workshop (March 19, 2022)
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Final Team Presentation (June 2, 2022)
2022 PROBLEM STATEMENTS
Students will form teams and choose one of these problem sets to help solve:
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Prevention of helicopter metal corrosion
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Process improvement to respond to noise complaints at MCAS
Miramar -
Oxygen System cleaning standards
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Detection capability to track and categorize signals on ultra-wideband radio frequencies
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Communication solution for hearing-impaired soldiers in noisy environments
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Explosive Ordnance Disposal detection tool
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Creation of a collaborative data system for flexible work
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Safe long distance transportation for repair parts and support
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Communication tool to ensure safe launches
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Building a discreet generator for communications
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Prevent threats to manned and unmanned aircrafts
Customer Discovery Workshop
Signup for the Customer Discovery Workshop! This workshop will be held on Saturday March 19, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Questions? Email: innovation@ucsd.edu.
Overview
Innovating for National Security (i4NS) is a quarter-long program that offers U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) leaders an opportunity to collaborate with talented student teams to develop innovative solutions to their most pressing national security problems. Through student teams, the DOD is provided an avenue to connect with problem-solvers from academia, the private sector, and other non-traditional DOD partners.
The course provides student teams with a deep understanding of selected national security related problems and potential solutions which might be arrayed against them. Using the Lean LaunchPad Methodology the course encourages student teams to:
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Solve complex real-world problems
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Rapidly iterate solutions while searching for product-market fit
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Understand all stakeholders, roll-out issues, costs, resources, and ultimate market / mission value
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Deliver minimum viable products matching customer needs in a narrow window.
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Produce a repeatable model which can launch other potential solutions
From Immersive Learning to Validated Insights
Through this course, you will work in a real life startup environment with team members from diverse backgrounds and expertise, network across different industries, and improve your public speaking and project management. At the end of the course, you will have requisite experience commercial and national security-related companies and organizations seek in their future employees.
The course is team-based with related work and study completed in teams. In addition to the instructors, each team will be assigned a mentor (an experienced entrepreneur or subject matter expert) and a contact from the problem sponsor at DOD.
At the end of ten weeks, you and your team will provide a solution to an existing problem provided by the DOD while learning to develop prototypes that match DOD users’ needs.
The Innovating for National Security (i4NS) is not a product incubator for a specific technology solution. Instead, you will learn Lean Startup principles to gain a deeper understanding of selected problems, develop sustainable, user-centered solutions, and learn to work with the DoD and IC teams.
Hear more from past student participants and mentors here.
How to apply
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Apply now to join a team
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Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.
i4ns S'22 Mixer Dates:
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