Physics2Market valorization grants also open for COVID-19 projects

The IXAnext Physics2Market funding instrument, a seed funding to kick-start collaboration with industry on subjects in physics, is now also inviting initiatives contributing to the current COVID-19 pandemic.  The Physics2Market grant not only provides funding on subjects in physics but also  in the physical sciences in the broader sense.

The maximum funding is € 35,000 and should contain a concrete plan towards collaboration with at least one industrial partner during or after the project. This fund yet requires no cash contribution. To date, Physics2Market grant  has funded over a dozen researchers from UvA, VU, and various other knowledge institutes in Amsterdam.

Now open for COVID-19 initiatives
Recently the fund has also started to explicitly invite initiatives that aim to contribute to the current COVID-19 pandemic (see the example below). These projects have a clear potential impact for society, and future collaboration with industry may therefore be less concrete at the time of the application.

Application procedure
The application procedure comprises a short application form that is typically prepared with help from an IXA business developer. After submission of the final proposal, the assessment typically takes a few weeks at most. Because of the interaction with business developers, the success rate of submitted proposals is well above 50%.

Physics2Market support for Daniel Bonn on his research on aerosols to help opening up society during the COVID- 19 crisis
Last month, IXA granted a Physics2Market proposal by prof. Daniel Bonn (Institute of Physics), focusing on small drops resulting from coughing. Such drops may often float in indoor areas for minutes, especially where there is no or poor ventilation. Good ventilation in public areas, for example in public transport and in care homes, is crucial to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Bonn and his group is using their extensive know-how on aerosols to emulate different situations with the aim to make the best choices. The project has already led to a breakthrough article in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine (see for more information).

Contact
The Physics2Market funding instrument is part of the IXAnext programme for valorization, funded by the City of Amsterdam and is open for applications from all knowledge institutes in the Amsterdam region until the beginning of 2021. For contact please approach Peter Cirkel, (p.cirkel@ixa.nl, tel. 020-5983069) or your business developer at IXA.