NTNU’s strategic areas within Health and Biotechnology are announcing this year’s opportunities for seed funding. The purpose of the seed funding call is to strengthen research and innovation within these thematic areas at NTNU, and to prepare researchers for attracting external project funding.

Who can apply?

All NTNU employees in temporary or permanent academic positions can apply. The project must take place in 2023 and/or 2024, and the funds spent within November 2024. Applicants already involved in ongoing projects funded by NTNU Biotechnology or NTNU Health can apply but will not be prioritized.

What can you apply for?

Each project can apply for NOK 20.000-200.000, and 10-30 projects will be funded in total. Part of this year’s funding is reserved for pilot projects and proof-of-concept studies which use NTNU’s research infrastructure to provide preliminary data to support applications for externally funded projects.

Examples of projects are:

• Pilot/proof-of-concept studies 
• Running costs for using equipment and existing infrastructure at NTNU
• Establishing national and international collaborations
• Preliminary explorations of access to data and innovation potential
• Personnel costs for experiments or application writing/coordination
• Workshops, seminars, and study trips

Application requirements 

• Description of the project’s importance and future contribution towards attracting external project funding, which can involve establishment of national or international collaborations/consortia, preliminary data for strengthening project proposals, costs related to proposal design and writing, development of innovation potential, etc. 
• Interdisciplinarity: Contribution from participants with different scientific expertise should be highlighted. Active participants from at least two faculties/campus is encouraged. 
• Pilot studies should highlight how local infrastructure at NTNU will be used.
• A budget showing cost distribution in 2023-24.

When submitting your application, you need to indicate whether you are applying for funding from NTNU Biotechnology or NTNU Health. It is possible to apply in both categories, but you need to choose where to be prioritized.

For NTNU Health only: The funding is not limited thematically, but projects within NTNU Health’s prioritized areas (public health, mental health, personalized medicine, digitization, collaborations on health data, and sustainability in health) will be favored.   

Evaluation criteria 

I) The project’s significance for future project development and ambitions, II) scientific originality and ambitions, III) feasibility, IV) use of infrastructure and resources at NTNU, V) recognition of the project’s sustainability aspects, and if otherwise equal VI) relevance for NTNU Health’s prioritized areas (only for NTNU Health applications).

Final priority of the applications and awarded funding will be decided by the leader groups of NTNU Biotechnology and NTNU Health with assistance from relevant faculties.

Application deadline was April 14th, 2023.
A decision can be expected in June and projects can start from July 2023. 

Questions may be directed to Liv Eggset Falkenberg