BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The University at Buffalo will receive $500,000 in federal funds to help researchers bring their ideas to the marketplace.

The five-year grant announced Wednesday comes from the National Science Foundation, which named UB a training site for its I-Corps program. The entrepreneur training program is meant to invigorate the creation of businesses commercializing research discoveries.

The I-Corps Site Program at UB will train teams of students, faculty and advisers to explore the commercial viability of their innovations.

Christina Orsi, associate vice president for economic development at UB, says the goal is to determine whether customers will actually use what's being proposed.

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