Leon Gielgens (NWO): Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity’

Do you have entrepreneurial ambitions and are you poised to make an impact on society with your academic invention? Then this is your chance! The call for proposals for the coming year’s Faculty of Impact group of fellows is still open until October 1. Leon Gielgens, responsible for this call at NWO, gives an update on the progress.

When asked how many applications have already been submitted, Leon can be brief: it is too early for that. ‘Our experience at NWO is that they only come in during the last days before the deadline. At this stage we mainly get many questions from candidates working on their applications.’

As logical as it is that most submitters are working towards the deadline, our advice is not to wait until the last second to submit, says Leon. ‘Do it 1 or 2 days in advance. You need to have an account in our application system (ISAAC), and you know how it works with computer software: something can always go wrong. Don’t take that risk: the deadline is October 1 punctually at 2:00 p.m. and 1 second after that you are too late.’ And well before that, of course, you start working on your application form, recording your video and taking care of the letters of support, he adds.

Broadening the themes

In the first two waves, the focus was on specific themes: greentech in the first year and life sciences & health in the group that started this spring. That has now changed: while agriculture/water/food and circular economy take center stage, ideas that connect to all five themes of the mission-driven innovation policy stand a chance. ‘We’ve decided to do that to prevent someone with a good proposal within the ‘wrong’ theme from having to wait one or more years for his or her turn.’ To find out which themes get extra focus in which years, just look at the Faculty of Impact section on the NWO website.

Find the right help

Leon notices that all procedures are running more smoothly, thanks in part to the experience of the first few years. ‘The Faculty of Impact is still young; we have only been in operation for two years, and the name is only now beginning to establish itself. The increasingly strong involvement of the knowledge transfer offices (KTOs) helps with this and certainly contributes to the quality of the applications we receive. So, an important appeal is this: Don’t write that application alone, but contact the right people at your university or college. Go to your KTO and discuss your ideas with your department head or supervisor. They will help you and know which other applicants might be within your knowledge institution – and who are the most promising.’

Show your commitment

‘A lot of people that are interested to join call us with questions about their eligibility – there are quite a few questions about that in the webinars as well. Basically, any person is eligible who has the right ambitions, an innovative idea, and can demonstrate they have or will have tenure once selected. We also warmly encourage candidates from universities of applied sciences with entrepreneurial ambitions to apply. In general, our applicants are young people, given the salary scale on which the funding is based, but there is no age limit. The most important thing is to show your commitment. Show that you want to be an entrepreneur, and have a clear idea about your business and what you want to develop further.’

Exploration tour

Still doubting whether to step over the threshold? Don’t, says Leon. ‘This is a wonderful, unique opportunity. You get two years to go on an exploration tour with professional guidance and a group of passionate peers. The exact outcome is open: both how you shape your idea and your innovation and what your role in it will be. Either way, it takes you further as a person, even if you eventually conclude that a position as CEO or CTO is not for you after all.’

Do you have questions about the call or the program? Register for 1 of our webinars, book an ‘office hour’  with the people on our team, or contact us by phone. You can also check the updated list of frequently asked questions on the Faculty of Impact website.