2025 CCI+A (CATAPULT & ASCEND) Funds

The CCI+A program will cover key aspects of both investigating the commercialization phase and launching and funding a startup entity as follows:

• A bootcamp-style program to rapidly move new technologies forward.
• Support for customer discovery efforts.
• Opportunities for cybersecurity startups to engage with potential industry and government partners and D.C.-Maryland-Virginia and Commonwealth-based customers.
• Opportunities for customer engagement.
• Opportunities to bring university innovation to industry and government for
• feedback and collaboration.
• Industry and government collaboration opportunities for cyber faculty on technical work and product testing.
• Opportunities to train students to work in cybersecurity startups (CCI+A Awardees will have access to subsidized college interns at no cost).
• Cybersecurity-focused workshops, meetings, and collider events with government agencies, industry, and investors.
• Opportunities to engage with seed and venture capitalists, including a potential opportunity for exposure to investors and for potential prize money at George Mason University's annual Accelerate Investor competition.

CCl+A will leverage the knowledge base and experience of George Mason University’s comprehensive entrepreneurship support programs including the Mason Enterprise Centers, I-Corps and Virginia SBDC to provide mentorship from industry experts who have deep knowledge and experience in the cybersecurity and technology domains, resources, startup services (including free legal and business consulting), investment-based funding, access to rent-free physical space in the Digital Innovation Pilot facility on the Mason Square (Arlington) campus if desired, and a set of educational programs for each cohort.

The CATAPULT and ASCEND Funds will help innovation teams pay for critical resources to advance development of their product, participate in the CCI+A program support personnel, test products, and travel. The objective of the program is to get initial market feedback, a first critical step to obtaining seed or angel funding.

Funds will be released in three installments. After the initial award of $25,000, two installments of $25,000 each will be predicated upon the completion of 20+ customer interviews during the I-Corps program and the completion of an additional 20+ customer interviews between the end of the I-Corps program and the final pitch event.

During the course of customer interviews, teams can pivot from the product initially proposed. This is to be expected. However, any shift should retain a focus on cybersecurity. Failure to maintain a cyber-focused product can result in removal from the program and additional funding could be withheld.

Overall, requirements include:

• Participation in as many virtual sessions as possible by at least one team member.
• Completion of the customer interviews and PI participation in all in-person meetings/events. 

The successful commercialization of a team’s IP will correlate with the team’s deep engagement in all aspects of the program.

To be eligible for fund support, applications must be submitted by:

• A Virginia-based innovation team (for example, faculty at a Virginia public institution of higher education and other team members such as GRAs or partner faculty, or
• A team comprising a faculty member at a Virginia institution of higher education (to serve as PI on the grant) and team members from a Virginia early-stage startup.

A faculty member from a Virginia public institution of higher education must serve as the PI; however, as described above, the rest of the innovation team may be students, other faculty, or members of a Virginia-based startup.

Researchers and faculty members at public institutions of higher education in Virginia who are deemed eligible by their home institution to serve as a Pl on an external grant are eligible to apply as PI.

Each team should define roles based on expertise and personal interests. For example, the faculty member might be focused on technical aspects of product development. 

At least one team member should serve as the entrepreneurial lead and pay special attention to customer discovery and development of the business aspects of the budding commercial entity. 

In some cases, the faculty PI can serve as the entrepreneurial lead, but in other instances, the team might be more effective if the entrepreneurial lead is a Ph.D. student or another faculty member; in the case of a partnership with a Virginia-based startup, the lead from the startup will naturally serve as the entrepreneurial lead. 

Undergraduate students can’t serve as the entrepreneurial lead.

In light of the amount of work involved, especially during the first phase of the program, which requires teams to conduct a minimum of 20 customer interviews, we strongly advise PIs to form a team with post-docs, Ph.D. students, or fellow PIs to assist with the groundwork necessary to obtain and perform these interviews. 

A Ph.D. student or post-doc team member can have the responsibility of leading the effort to investigate commercialization opportunities for the research as long as the PI is kept fully involved with the process and is debriefed on the key findings from the interviews and customer feedback. 

Alternatively, in the instance where faculty PIs are collaborating with a

Virginia-based startup, a team member from the startup should be engaged in the customer interviews.

A large part of success on the path to commercialization is based on the ability to present well and to quickly build relationships. 

As such, our most successful teams have had at least one member who possesses English proficiency and is comfortable with public speaking.

If the IP is sourced from the faculty PI, the faculty member must complete or already have completed an invention disclosure with the relevant tech transfer office at their home academic institution by the time the application to CATAPULT or ASCEND is submitted. 

If the IP is sourced from the Virginia-based startup, the startup team retains all rights to the IP, but the faculty PI is expected to be actively contributing their technical expertise to further product development in a meaningful way. 

Failure of the faculty PI to be engaged in product development and/or CCI+A activities is a condition for withdrawal of funding. 

The partnership between a faculty PI and a Virginia-based startup should be meaningful and beneficial to both parties.

• Submission of invention disclosure with the appropriate tech transfer entity at your university.
• Confirmation of submission is required in order to receive an award.
• 40 Customer Interviews.
• Completion of a minimum of 20 potential customer interviews during the I-Corp portion of the program. 
• Complete an additional 20+customer interviews from the conclusion of the I-Corps event and the final pitch event.
• In-person session attendance. 
• Full team (defined as PI faculty member and entrepreneurial lead (if not faculty member) and additional personnel as desired) attend the kick-off meeting, bootcamp day, Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC) day and closing pitch day sessions, for a total of four in-person sessions (see schedule). 
• PIs are required to be present for all in-person sessions.
• Virtual session attendance. The PI and/or entrepreneurial lead are expected to participate in the virtual sessions and mentor office hours. Other team members are encouraged to attend as many as possible to ensure continuity of learning.
• I-Corps Sessions. The PI and/or the entrepreneurial lead, should attend all the I-Corps sessions. Other team members are encouraged to attend as many as possible to ensure continuity of learning.
• Customer Discovery. Follow the customer discovery process and other guidance provided by the instructors and mentors.
• Explore commercialization. Commit to exploring the commercialization potential of your technology.
• Attendance to the four in-person sessions, held in Arlington, is mandatory for the PIs and the entrepreneurial lead. 
• Faculty PIs who are teaching on the dates of the in-person sessions should make appropriate arrangements for class coverage on those dates. 
• Grant funds may be used to cover travel and accommodation expenses related to these in-person sessions.

The CCI+A program is divided into two phases:

The I-Corps program, which follows the NSF’s I-Corps lean startup model and

requires teams to obtain 20 customer interviews during its course. 

Completing this goal is time-consuming and necessitates the PI and their teams actively network and reach out to the ecosystem which will use/adopt their innovation.

The CCI+A program, comprising a series of workshops, roundtables, and panel

discussions, specifically tailored to the cybersecurity industry, where teams will have the opportunity to interact with industry leaders, potential customers, and investors.

An additional 20 customer interviews are required during this phase to continue honing.

An entrepreneurial mentor will be assigned to each team and considered the team’s primary mentor. This mentor will also provide guidance and insight about potential next steps for pursuing funding. 

However, other counselors, technical advisors, and experienced serial entrepreneurs will be available for support and consultation with the teams throughout the program and beyond. 

Connection with these advisors and tech mentors is enabled evenafter the conclusion of the program.

Attendance at the four in-person sessions, held in Arlington, is mandatory for the PIs and the entrepreneurial lead. 

Grant funds can be used to cover travel and accommodation expenses related to these in-person sessions. 

Please ensure you are available during the in-person dates (see below) before submitting an application.

Event dates are subject to change. Additional details will be provided as soon as they're available.

Direct all questions to novacci@gmu.edu.