Through UiA Innovation Pilot, students can apply for funding to test out innovative ideas which have arisen as a result of their studies. The purpose is to support innovation projects which do not currently qualify for other funding.
You are encouraged to contact UiA Nyskaping to discuss your idea prior to submitting your application. UiA Nyskaping can also provide advice on how to write the project application.
The application deadline is 29 September 2024.
Application
Who can apply?
To apply for support, you must fulfill the following requirements:
- You are a bachelor's or master's student for the entire project period
- You have an idea that stems from your studies at UiA
- You have found an academic mentor for the project who is employed at UiA. The mentor must be linked to a relevant academic enviromnent for the project.
You are welcome to include other students as participants in the project.
Available financial support
You can apply for up to NOK 100 000 per project. The estimated total amount of funding for 2024 is NOK 1 million.
You can receive funding for the following costs:
- Equipment and materials: Costs related to the purchase of materials and equipment for the production of prototypes, laboratory tests, or similar.
- Consultant services: Costs related to the purchase of services from external parties, e.g. to investigate patentability.
- Rental costs: Costs related to the rental of premises outside UiA.
- Salary for academic mentor: The project funds can cover salary costs for the project's academic mentor. As a preliminary guideline, it is recommended to allocate 10% of the project's budget for this purpose
- Other costs: As a general rule, the project should only include costs in the four categories above. If other costs are necessary, you can include them in the application as "other costs". Such costs must be directly related to the project's goals.
The project must be started before the end of the spring semester 2025 and be completed within 12 months of starting.
Activities which do not qualify for financial support
- Development of ideas unrelated to your studies at UiA
- Development or marketing of existing products and services
- Costs associated with establishing or operating a company. UiA Innovation Pilot is meant to support you as a student, not a company.
- Development costs in later stages of an innovation project. If the project already qualifies for external funding, e.g. from Innovation Norway, it will usually have progressed too far to receive support through UiA Innovation Pilot.
- Basic research activities (equivalent to technology readiness level 1-2)
- Patenting costs, including drafting and filing of patent applications.
- Marketing and communication activities, such as event support and participation in conferences.
How to apply
Fill out the application form for the call. You can elaborate on the application in an attachment, but the application form and attachment should not exceed 5 pages in total.
To submit the application, follow the link at the top of the page, upload the application and any attachments, and click "Send".
You can replace a submitted application until the application deadline.
Evaluation
Evaluation criteria
1. Challenge and proposed solution
What is the challenge that the idea aims to solve? How does the idea represent something new and ambitious, and how novel is it compared to existing solutions? How solid is the research behind the idea, and is the project's approach realistic?
2. Societal impact, added value and sustainability
What benefit does the idea represent for society? What are possible applications for the idea? Who are potential end-users, and what is the potential value for them? Will the project contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals? Are there ethical, social, or environmental aspects that are relevant to the project? If so, how are they addressed in the application?
3. Expected project outcome
What results does the project expect to achieve? To what extent will the expected results contribute to the realisation of the proposed solution?
4. Project plan
Has a thorough and realistic plan been laid out for the project? What are the key milestones in the project? How likely is it that the outlined goals will be achieved by following the project plan?
5. Project team
How is the project team composed, and what expertise does each team member bring to the project? Does the project have access to the resources and expertise needed to carry out the project?
6. Budget
How realistic and cost-effective is the budget? Do the budgeted expenses correspond with the project's plans and needs?
7. Plan for further development after project completion
What plans does the project have for further developing the results after the project is completed? Are the plans realistic and reasonable? How likely is it that the idea will be realized in the long term after the project is completed?
Assessment procedure
UiA Nyskaping assesses whether the application meets the formal requirements of the call and rejects any applications that do not meet them.
A decision committee evaluates the applications and decides on the allocation of funds. The committee consists of:
- The Vice Rector for external relations and innovation,
- The Director of research and innovation,
- two employee representatives, and
- one student representative.
Economy and reporting
Economy
If your application is approved, the faculty will establish a project in UiA's financial systems with the approved amount as an upper limit.
You will initially bear the costs of smaller expenses in the project and subsequently request reimbursement from the faculty. Remember to keep documentation of the expenses.
The faculty can assist with larger purchases within the project.
Final report
After the project is completed, a final report must be submitted. The report shall show the project's results and how funds from UiA Innovation Pilot have been utilised.
Do you have any questions?
If you would like more information about UiA Innovation Pilot, please feel free to contact UiA Nyskaping.