Linnaeus University's Innovation Call 2024
Are you eager to continue working on your idea and see what it can become? Many researchers have fantastic ideas that deserve to live on, help people, and make the world a little bit better – but time is limited.
Linnaeus University announces yearly a funding of SEK 250,000 each for up to four projects, where researchers can receive financing to further develop and realise their ideas. The application closed on September 29 and the selection process is in progress.
The winners of the innovation call 2023
- Nathan van Wyk and Mark Dopson for their project Valorisation of magnesium and sulfur waste streams
- Emma Bergström and Anna Bratt for their project Interactive reading aloud for everyone!
- Fredrik Ahlgren, Johan Leitet, Niklas Emevi, Viktor Olofsson, Tobias Ohlson and David Mozart for their project Srcful – Accelerate deployment of renewable energy
- Peter Lerman and Gerhard Scheepers for their project Thermography for controlling sawmill drying processes
“That might never have happened”
“We have had an idea for many years to make a children's book that is suitable for interactive reading with babies. The grant has made it possible to develop the idea and that might never have happened if we hadn't been given this opportunity.”
That's what Anna Bratt, associate professor of psychology, says. Together with her colleague Emma Bergström, she applied for and received a grant from Linnaeus University's Innovation Call for 2023. They used the funds they received to finance their own time; to have time to think things through and create material. They use part of the money for an illustrator and hope to find a book publisher willing to publish the book.
“There aren't that many books that are inviting to talk about. Our goal is to build relationships between parents and children and make them more interactive with each other. Today's parents face competition from smartphones, YouTube, 'babblarna' and so much more.”
“There will be small films for the children's book, where we talk about the child's development and show how to read in a fun way, also with gestures and sounds to get the child involved.”
“Those who participated in Emma's research find this very rewarding and are surprised by what the little child can do. It is only when the child starts talking that the parent understands how much he or she has actually understood!”
“The research we have conducted should benefit”
“Being granted the innovation call means that there is someone other than just ourselves who judges that the idea can make a difference!”
Peter Lerman is a senior lecturer in forestry and wood technology and has, together with Gerhard Scheepers at RISE, conducted research on the drying process for timber at sawmills for almost ten years. The process is complicated, consumes a lot of energy and costs a lot of money.
“We have developed new technology that can measure the timber's surface temperature with an infrared thermal camera, and thus estimate the moisture content in the timber and control the process. Our research has been applied all along, but now we wanted to try to take this last step. But it is difficult to get both the time and the resources to do it.”
One of the problems has been reaching out with the technology and making use of it. Therefore, Peter and Gerhard have now been able to bring in a consultant who will help them ask the right questions and get the sawmills interested. “We ourselves are probably not always critical enough”, as Peter says.
“Then we use the grant to develop the system from the prototypes we have made into a finished product. The research we have carried out for many years should at last have some use in society as well!”
“It is interesting to note that even if the other prize winners have completely different ideas in completely different areas, we surprisingly often face similar problems and follow roughly the same processes, so we have an important exchange from meeting.”
Questions and answers about the innovation call
Who can apply and for what?
Your idea may be the result of a research project, but it doesn't have to be. It can be in any discipline and be pursued commercially or non-commercially. The important thing is the benefit your idea brings to people, our society, and our world outside academia.
The call is open for researchers and doctoral students at Linnaeus University. The intention is for the call to reflect and capture the breadth, innovative spirit, and pursuit of a shared sustainable future of the entire university. Funding will not be granted for research purposes, instead, it should be used to implement research findings outside of academia.
Can multiple individuals apply for the same idea?
Yes, multiple applicants can apply for funding for the same idea; the application should then be submitted as a joint application.
What does receiving funding entail?
The selected applications will receive SEK 250,000 each to use towards working on their idea. This can be used for personal time or other efforts aimed at developing the idea towards practical application. The funds include any potential overhead, and SEK 250,000 will be disbursed to the department and earmarked for the researcher.
How does the application process work?
If necessary, you will be contacted by an innovation advisor at LNU Innovation for any clarifications. After an initial selection, 5–8 applicants will get the opportunity to present their idea to a jury consisting of management staff from Linnaeus University and external representatives. The jury then presents a proposal of up to four projects to the vice-chancellor, who makes the final decision regarding allocation.
What are the criteria for evaluating the applications?
The ideas are primarily evaluated based on three criteria:
- Innovation level – whether an idea is pioneering or significantly better than what is currently available on the market.
- Potential impact – the potential for an idea to be beneficial and have positive effects on societal challenges.
- Potential feasibility – the likelihood of success.
What happens if my idea is approved?
The selected projects will be recognised at Linnaeus University's scholarship ceremony and will enter an innovation process with LNU Innovation. As the owner of the idea, you will gain an understanding of your current situation, establish an effective plan, and receive active support on your journey forward. You will get the opportunity to present and discuss your idea with relevant stakeholders, users, and customers in order to arrive at a well-founded hypothesis about potential customers, the market, and the business model for a sustainable and viable strategy.