Who can apply
All research projects that are part of the Centre for Digital Life Norway, can apply. The applicant should be the PI or the TTO of the project.
What the grant can be used for
The funding should be used for activities identified as necessary to bring the innovation and/or commercialization processes of the project forward. Examples of activities that can be funded include idea scouting, market analysis and customer exploration, business modelling, commercial validation, IP strategies, patent landscape analysis and minor FTOs, regulatory strategies, innovation training, commercial assessment and strategy development, ethical and RRI considerations, etc. The funding can be used either for hiring external expertise and competency to assist and support with defined activities or for costs related to travelling to meet with potential customers, users, partners etc.
The funding can also be used to cover costs related to technical development and research activities in specific situations where the innovation process depends on the results of this technical development/research activity. For this to be eligible, the project must be able to present a clear understanding of the market need and potential of the business idea and the technical issues should be the major bottleneck preventing the progress of the innovation process.
The funding cannot be used to buy materials and equipment or to finance activities defined as basic research.
How much money can be applied for
The maximum amount that can be applied for is normally 50.000 NOK (excl mva) per project. Exceptions can be made to approve larger grants, up to 100.000 nok (excl mva) when necessary. Projects can normally only apply once, but exceptions can be made depending on the total interest, the specific needs of the individual projects applying and the funding available.
Requirements for the funding
The project applying for funding must be actively engaged in the activities that the funding will cover and present a clear plan for how the results of the activities are intended to be used to bring the innovation process further. If the TTO is involved in the activities and parts of the funding will be used to pay for their services, the TTO has to contribute with co-funding of at least 25 % of the applied grant. The co-funding from the TTO can be in kind. The approved funding will normally be received upon completion of the suggested activities.
How to apply
Applications should be discussed and agreed with one of the innovation coordinators of the Centre for Digital Life Norway prior to submission. The application is submitted using this web form.
The application contains three sections:
- Status of the project
Map the status of the project with respect to the 6 dimensions of the KTH Innovation Readiness Levels (Customer, Business, Innovation Team, IP, Funding and Technology) at the end of this form and write a short summary, maximum 1/2 page, of the actual status of your project.
- Next step, plan and budget
Provide a short project plan describing the activities you would like to do using the funding. Each activity should have an anticipated start and end date and a cost estimate/budget. The budget has to show the split of cost between the project, the centre and, if applicable, the TTO for each activity. A template for the budget is found here. The application should also describe the long-term plan of the project: what will you do next, after having completed the suggested activities, to make sure the innovation project continues?
- Expected results
Provide a short description of the goal and the expected status and result after having completed the described activities according to the plan. If the activities are expected to move the project upwards in any of the dimensions of the KTH Innovation Readiness Level toolbox, please refer to which dimension and to which level.
Evaluation criteria and process
The application will be reviewed and decided by a panel consisting of one Innovation Coordinator and 3 other members of the Digital Life operational management team. The application will be evaluated against the following criteria:
- Relevance
The suggested activities should have a focus on innovation and/or commercialization
- Realism
The suggested activities should be possible to accomplish within the given time frame and budget and be able to give the expected result presented.
- Importance
The suggested activities should be of importance and considered necessary to make progress in the innovation process of the project.
Competence sharing and reporting
It is a requirement for the application to be approved that the project is willing to share the experiences and lessons learned from the funded activities with the other projects associated to the centre. This can be done through blog posts, news or articles on the web page or as presentations in different fora such as the yearly conference.
The work done using the innovation funding, and the results obtained, should be summarized in a short report (1-2 pages) that has to be shared with the Centre for Digital Life Norway at the end of the project.
If there are any questions regarding the innovation grant, please contact Alexandra Patriksson: alexandra.patriksson@medisin.uio.no