FAQ
On this page, we answer questions about (1) the application of the program and (2) the program itself. Can’t find your answer? Ask your question during one of our office hours or webinars here.
FAQ about applying to FOI
Questions regarding the FOI application process, a grant managed by the Dutch Research Council (NWO):
The aim of the Faculty of Impact is to provide talented fellows from all disciplines with the opportunity to combine entrepreneurship with science. Fellows enter the Faculty with their innovative idea that offers opportunities to realize social impact. This could be a tool to stimulate behavior change, a technological innovation, a new business model, consultancy to support non-profit ideas, and so on. During our two-year programme, the fellows further develop and scale up their creative and pioneering ideas. The social anchoring of the idea is part of this, as well as the conditions of implementation, creating awareness, developing dissemination plans and finding opportunities to finance the idea.
PhD students who completed their PhD research before the start date of the FoI program (start for this FoI round is in May 2025)
or
Postdocs, university lecturers or other academic staff or comparable positions at a university of applied sciences.
For more information: see section 3.1 ‘Who can apply’ in the Call for proposals.
For an application within this Call for proposals, a maximum of € 185,000 is available per fellow of the Faculty of Impact programme. The programme has a maximum term of two years. For this Call for proposals, budget can be spent for the modules ‘Personnel costs’ (including ‘Replacement’) and ‘Material’ (up to a maximum of € 15,000, limited to specified travel- and accommodation costs and Project-related goods/services).
For more information, see point 3.2 ‘What can be applied for’ in the Call for proposals.
You can. However, our premise is that the applicants spend all/most of their time on the Faculty of Impact programme. Applicants must be available – for no less than 0.8 FTE – to follow the support programme (training/supervision component).
With the personal grant, fellows work three weeks per month at their own university, university of applied sciences or research institution in the Netherlands (the knowledge institution), on the case that they proposed in the application for the personal grant. In addition, the fellows come together one week per month for intensive sessions to increase their skills in applied research and, in doing so, develop their entrepreneurial skills as well. They also participate in peer-to-peer sessions and masterclasses about specific subjects and liaise with relevant industrial sectors or the public sphere.
The aim of the Faculty of Impact is to provide talented fellows from all disciplines with the opportunity to combine entrepreneurship with science and are interested in starting their own business. If you already have a start-up, you are eligible to join this program as long as you do not have paying customers yet. Nevertheless, maybe an other instrument of NWO (like Take-off) may be more interesting for you.
The bench fee is intended to stimulate the candidate’s career and can be spent freely on research within the Faculty of Impact programme, for example on lab costs, a clinical trial etc.
If you’re in a salary scale higher than 11, you can still apply. However, NWO only reimburses up to scale 11. This means that the costs that exceed this scale should be paid by the institution to which the fellow is attached.
You can apply if your defense date is set.
Yes, you can apply as long as you have a PhD degree and you are employed at a Dutch university, university of applied science or another knowledge institute.
If the organisation does not have a knowledge transfer office, a letter of support is required from a representative of the organisation’s executive board. In this letter of support, the representative states that the fellow will receive comparable coaching as would be the case if a knowledge transfer office were present. That is to say that a coach will be available to improve both the business case and the entrepreneurial qualities of the fellow throughout the entire programme.
The normal intellectual property (IP) guidelines of your university, university of applied sciences or knowledge institute apply. When no IP has been formalized, the new national guideline for IP (‘richtsnoer’) applies. For more information on the rules within your university, please contact your KTO.
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.
FAQ about the FOI program
Questions regarding the profile of the candidates and the training & support programme, managed by the Faculty of Impact bureau:
The starting point is that you are highly motivated and that you have an idea that can make a big impact. After nine months, the progress of the fellows will be reviewed by their supervisor and mentors to evaluate the status of their project and their personal development. At this point, the fellow will discuss how to continue developing the idea and in which role they want to continue: as CEO of the business or as scientific lead within the company, or whether they prefer to stay in academia and contribute to the project in the role of academic advisor.
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. We also appreciate non-profit ideas as long as you can show us a path to big impact. 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.
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.
We understand, we love teaching too. But no, during your 2 years on the programme we want you to focus 100% of your effort on starting your company.
Yes, researchers from all academic backgrounds are very welcome to apply. As long as your research can make a big impact, the programme is for you.
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.
Fellows work within their own knowledge institute on the case study they proposed in their application for the personal grant. Fellows also meet regularly at different locations for intensive sessions aimed at expanding their applied research skills, thereby developing their entrepreneurial skills. They also take part in peer-to-peer sessions and masterclasses on specific ‘entrepreneurship’ topics, and make contact with relevant business or social sectors. They are also given coaching and supervision, with individual progress discussions.
The cofinancing is a cash contribution made by the knowledge institute to the Faculty of Impact training & coaching programme. The contribution is invoiced annually from the Vrije Universiteit – as secretary of the FoI program – to the knowledge institution. The sum is based on the costs incurred (the VU reports incurred costs to the participating universities on an annual basis) and amounts to approx. 25 kEuros/year per fellow (i.e. approx. 50 kEuros for the duration of the 2-year programme).
Yes, guaranteed.
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.