UiT Internal call for innovation projects

Concept and what can be funded

The call for 2021 is for 1-2 innovation positions for two years each. The call is suitable for research groups who have produced results from previous and existing projects with potential for commercial development and exploitation. The aim of this initiative is to contribute to an increased amount of research being further developed and commercialized.

The positions must be integrated with existing projects at UiT and contribute to ongoing research and innovation processes. Relevant projects must describe and document promising results from previous phases. Furthermore, results from which the innovation project are based, should generally not have been published or handled in such a way that it prevents commercialization. Applicants must describe how the innovation position is embedded in current projects and further evolve around the role of the researcher with respect to the innovation process.

The application must describe how the project requires collaboration with internal and external partners to continue the project’s development. Applicants must describe the potential for the project to acquire additional external funding, as well as how external partners will be involved in development stages.

Applications will be evaluated based on the quality and impact of the project, the qualifications of the named candidate(s) for an innovation position and the quality of the internal and external partner. Candidates can be recruited both externally and internally, but candidates with relevant experience working on a project at UiT during a PhD, postdoc and/or researcher position are considered particularly suitable. Proposals will be evaluated by a team of internal and external experts.

Available funding

The funding covers salary and indirect costs for researcher position(s) for the named candidate(s).
No operating funds will be provided. Such funding must come from existing projects.
The funding is 1 050 000 NOK per year for two years, salary cost and indirect cost above this will not be funded.
It is expected that the applicant can show in the budget that there is operating funds of at least 160 000 NOK per year.

Eligibility

This is an internal call and only research groups and scientific staff at UiT are eligible applicants. Furthermore, projects must be anchored in previous and/or current projects at UiT. Candidates to be employed in the innovation positions must have relevant professional experience and background in such a way that they can fulfill the role in the project without training. Projects must be based on a DOFI submitted to UiT.

Eligibility criteria:

Eligible applicants are employed scientific staff at UiT (both temporary and permanent employees).
Projects must be based on a DOFI submitted to UiT. The confirmation letter(s) for submitted DOFI from UiT must be attached.
Candidates for innovation positions must have completed a PhD-degree.
Applicants may themselves also be candidates for positions.

Evaluation process and evaluation criteria

The applications will be evaluated by a panel consisting of internal and external experts, and according to standard criteria used by The Research Council of Norway for commercialization projects:

Excellence

To what extent is the project based on promising R&D results (not open source) that are sufficiently mature and will thereby contribute to developing new products, processes and services that will be significant improvements relative to existing solutions (state-of-the-art) within the same area? 

i. Research results: 

To what extent is the research base underlying the project adequately described, and to what extent are the results considered to be sufficiently mature to initiate a process towards commercialization?

ii. Degree of innovation: 

To what extent is the state-of-the-art described and to what extent do the research results represent innovation that can contribute to significant improvements of existing solutions (state-of-the-art) within the same area?

Impact

To what extent does the project have long-term potential for value creation and how likely is it that the innovation will be successfully realized? 

i. Market insight and areas of application: 

To what extent are potential areas of application/markets targeted by the project quantified and accounted for?
To what extent is the competition situation identified and accounted for?

ii. Strategy for realization: 

To what extent does the application outline a realistic long-term strategy for realizing the innovation, and to what extent are the details considered to be sufficiently accounted for given the project’s current level or maturity, e.g., investment needs, human resources needs, expected revenues, logistics distribution etc.?

iii. Risks, conditions and rights: 

To what extent does the application explain the full risk situation and the conditions and rights that must be in place for successful commercialization?

iv. Benefit to society and sustainability: 

To what extent are the relevant societal challenges and the potential impacts of the project accounted for?

Implementation

To what extent is the project sufficiently feasible, and does the application clearly outline what the project seeks to achieve, clarify and/or trigger upon completion? 

i. Project plan: 

To what extent does the application outline a realistic implementation plan, including milestones, deliveries, activities and methods, which are clearly based on what the project seeks to achieve, clarify or trigger upon completion? 
To what extent does the application adequately and convincingly outline the anticipated results of the project upon completion?

ii. Management, team and expertise: 

To what extent is the project considered to have access to the necessary resources and expertise, and to what extent does the project have a plan for involving external actors (mentors, customers, partners, investors, stakeholders, relevant social actors etc.)? 
The named candidate’s scientific and professional qualifications.

iii. Budget: 

To what extent is the budget and the financing realistic, cost-effective, and clearly rooted in the project's plans and resource needs?

In addition, interdisciplinary collaboration is considered an advantage, but not a prerequisite.

Application requirements and submission

The application must include in addition to the project proposal, a budget, a CV and track record of the candidate for the innovation position and confirmation letter(s) for submitted DOFI. Also, the application needs to be approved by the management at the faculty/unit.
The project proposal shall be no longer than 5 pages, including references, but excluding CV. Use the following template. Applications with formal errors or exceeding the page limitations will not be accepted.

The CV of the candidate shall be no more than four pages, track record included.

The applications with attachments shall be submitted by Nettskjema. Only applications submitted by nettskjema will be approved. Application deadline is 08.12.21 at 13:00 CET.

Inquiries and additional information

Please contact Inger Lin U. Ræder, inger.l.rader@uit.no for any question you may have to this call.

Kortnytt fra Seksjon for forskning og utdanningskvalitet