Forum for Young Leading-Edge Research (Industrial Research Foundation)
The Stiftung Industrieforschung annually hosts the Young Top Research Forum in Berlin and Dortmund, where early-career researchers pitch their ideas and compete for prize money totaling €42,000 per forum. Applications are processed through the cooperation partners Humboldt-Innovation and tu | concept.
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Grant criteria
Funding objective
Support for outstanding early-career researchers in the field of SME-related research ideas and their networking with practice in the industrial SME sector through prize money and subsequent project funding.
Eligible to apply
- Educational Institutions
Funding requirements
- Application through one of the cooperation partners (Humboldt-Innovation in Berlin or tu | concept in Dortmund)
- Affiliation with a university or research institution
Evaluation criteria
- Innovative content of the research approach
- Practical relevance for the industrial SME sector
- Quality of the presentation (pitch)
Description
The Forum for Young Leading Research of the Industrial Research Foundation offers an annual platform in Berlin and Dortmund where outstanding early-career researchers present their SME-related research ideas in a professional pitch format. In each session, six finalists are selected to present their innovations before a jury of industry and business experts. The prize money totaling €42,000 per forum honors the most outstanding concepts and simultaneously enables direct exchange with practitioners from the industrial SME sector. The thematic focus changes annually, addressing current issues that are of particular interest to small and medium-sized enterprises.
The aim of this award is to motivate young researchers towards application-oriented developments and to strengthen networking between university institutes and companies. Eligible applicants are members of educational institutions who submit their application through one of the cooperation partners – Humboldt-Innovation in Berlin or tu | concept in Dortmund. Evaluation criteria include the degree of innovation, practical relevance for SMEs, and the quality of the presentation. Since the calls are continuously announced via the partner organizations, interested parties benefit from flexible deadlines and ongoing participation opportunities. By combining prize money with subsequent project funding, the forum provides a direct entry into practice-oriented research projects and supports the implementation of forward-looking ideas into industrial application.
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