Special Take-off Round for Cyber Security Research

This autumn, the funding instrument Take-off is organising a special round for feasibility studies under the theme of cyber security. This round is being realised in collaboration with The Hague City Council, which has made the funding available. The new round is now open for applications. The deadline is 1 September.

Academic researchers in the area of cyber security who want to translate their research into a commercial application can request funding for this within Take-off. The Hague City Council has made a total of 200,000 euros available for such studies within the cyber security cluster. This amount is in addition to the standard budget for feasibility studies within Take-off.

With the investment, The Hague City Council wants to encourage the transfer and valorisation of scientific research in order to create opportunities for industry. In the area of cyber security, it has become apparent that it is difficult for knowledge and innovations to reach the market, and that research does not lead to new products or companies. Cybersecurity is a priority for the Dutch government, which between 2013 and 2020 has invested more than 22 million euros in realising the National Cyber Security Research Agenda (NCSRA), compiled by dcypher. As an innovation broker, dcypher contributed to the realization of this call.

Take-off

Take-off is a funding instrument from NWO Domain Applied and Engineering Sciences for academic researchers who want to bring their innovative knowledge to the market. The aim is to bridge the gap between research and market. The programme consists of two phases aimed at different stages of innovation. Within this round, aimed at cyber security, phase 1 applies, in which academic starters can carry out a feasibility study or market research. In this study, the technical and commercial feasibility of a product or service is determined. With the help of feedback from the market, an estimation is made of what is needed to develop a promising business case for a start-up.

Applications

Funding via Take-off is available for researchers with a tenured (part-time) appointment at Dutch universities, university medical centres and research institutes recognised by NWO (for precise information please see this page). For the cyber security cluster, there is also the special condition that researchers from the Netherlands Defence Academy (NLDA) and the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) may also submit an application.

Applicants may apply for an amount of a minimum of 20,000 euros and a maximum of 40,000 euros. Projects have a maximum duration of six months. The awarding within this cluster will be realised by The Hague City Council. The city council will also be responsible for the communication about the administrative aspects and also the project supervision.

Deadline

The deadline for submitting a statement of intent is 1 September 2020 at 14:00 hours CEST. The full proposal must be submitted no later than 29 September 2020 at 14:00 hours CEST. For more information about the conditions and deadlines, please see the call for proposals available on the funding page.

More info (in Dutch)