Faq
Find your answer here.

The co-financing for your university or knowledge institute is 30%.
My university/hbo/knowledge institute does not have a Knowledge Transfer Office, how should I apply?
You will need a support letter from the board of your institute.
Apart from universities, the FOI welcomes researchers from other knowledge institutes. Here are some recognized by NWO:
- UMC
- NWO institute
- KNAW institute
- Netherlands Cancer Institute
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
- DUBBLE Beamline at the ESRF
- NCB Naturalis
- ARCNL
- Prinses Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology
You are very welcome to join, as long as you can show the review board a realistic path to big impact. A non-profit can be a great vehicle for impact, just look at Doctors without Borders, Wikipedia and Greenpeace.
No, without the IP you don’t have a license to operate and are in essence a consultant working for the company owning the IP. However, if you can convince the company to give you an exclusive IP license you can join the program.
Yes. The main thing is that you are intrigued by the opportunity you see to have a positive impact on the world, based on your research. However, if your startup is already selling to customers you are not a good fit with the program.
Yes, researchers from all academic backgrounds are very welcome to apply. As long as your research can make a big impact, the program is for you.
The first edition of the Faculty of Impact is scheduled to kick off spring/summer 2024.
Really? No.
Yes, if you have research that can be disruptive and can be turned into a business with impact, we would love to see your application. Also, if you need technical expertise but you don’t have it, we can help you find the right team.
Yes. To quote Steve Jobs (which we rarely do, but here we agree with him): business is not that complicated. We’ll teach you about business.
And about non-profits: As long as you can show us a path to big impact. To reiterate: the main thing is that you are intrigued by the opportunity you see to have a positive impact on the world, based on your research.
Technology Readiness Level (TRL) is a scale used to assess the maturity level of a particular technology, ranging from TRL 1 (basic principles observed and reported) to TRL 9 (actual system proven through successful mission operations).
Faculty of Impact is looking for technologies at TRL 4 and up.
An example of a Technology Readiness Level 4 (TRL 4) is a prototype of a new medical scanner developed to detect tumors in the human body.
At this stage, the project team has validated the technology in a laboratory environment and has built a working prototype capable of performing the intended function. The prototype may have already been tested in a simulated environment to assess performance and reliability.
At TRL 4, the main goal of the project is to further develop the concept and demonstrate that the prototype works according to specifications. It may still require improvements and optimizations before it is ready for further testing and validation in a real clinical environment (TRL 5).
Societal Readiness Level (SRL) is a scale used to assess the readiness and capacity of a society to accept, adopt, and adapt to a new technology or innovation, taking into account various societal, ethical, and regulatory factors.
Faculty of Impact is looking for technologies at SRL 4 and up.
At this stage, the technology has achieved significant familiarity and acceptance among the general public and key stakeholders. There have been public discussions and debates about the impact of the technology on society, and societal norms and ethical frameworks have been developed to guide its implementation and use. Policymakers are working on specific regulations and guidelines to regulate the technology and protect the interests of society. There may already have been some successful applications of the technology, and the public is starting to gain confidence in its safety and benefits.
However, the exact level of Societal Readiness will vary depending on the technology, the societal context, and the time. It requires a wide range of factors, including public engagement, legal and ethical frameworks, public trust, and consensus on the implementation and impact of the technology on society.