Faq

Find your answer here.

Yes, guaranteed.

You can apply if your defense date is set.

Yes, as long as you have a PhD degree and are employed at a Dutch university, university of applied science or another knowledge institute.

Simple. Convince a Dutch knowledge institute to hire you.

The co-financing for your university or knowledge institute is 30%.

No, the grant and fellowship at the Faculty of Impact are awarded on a personal title. That said, it is possible to hire your colleague, include the additional salary in your budget proposal and/or share your salary.

The starting point is that you are highly motivated and that you have an idea that can make a big impact. If after the first year you figure out that this is not for you, you can go back to your academic role.

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.

The normal intellectual property (IP) guidelines of your university, hbo or knowledge institute apply. When no IP has been formalized, the new national guideline for IP (richtsnoer) applies: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/kamerstukken/2020/09/23/kamerbrief-toezending-vsnu-richtsnoer-ier-en-studenten-nav-moties-wiersma-bruins. 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.

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.

Not really. It helps if you can show that you have experience, but we can teach you entrepreneurship. Learning how to start a business is easier than doing a PhD.

You can join one or more of our webinars for more information about the program and tips and tricks for your application.

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.

Three weeks per month you will work from your research institute, one week a month you come together with the other 9 fellows of the first Faculty of Impact program. This will be in different locations in the country, and once per year we make a study tour outside the country.

Yes please. We suggest you reserve around 5 k€ for travel and subsistence in your budget per year.

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.

We understand, we love teaching too. But no, we want you to focus 100% of your effort on starting your company.

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.