innovate! academy

The program supports interdisciplinary and high-risk research projects across Germany in the fields of engineering, natural sciences, and materials science with a strong transfer focus. It funds projects at technology readiness levels 3–6 that advance from basic research toward practical application. Available funding includes a personnel position according to TVL-14 for two years as well as project funds of up to €100,000 per project (maximum total funding of €250,000). Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with the program starting each October.

The program specifically targets postdoctoral researchers, junior research group leaders, and junior professors whose doctoral degree was obtained no more than 8–10 years ago. Eligibility requires activity in the specified disciplines as well as entrepreneurial and transfer-oriented thinking. Fundable costs include personnel expenses, material costs, seminar and training expenses. Evaluation criteria include innovation content, transfer orientation, and interdisciplinarity. Selected participants receive a tailored seminar program with workshops on spin-offs, translation, science communication, and team development. Additionally, measures for personal development and networking formats are offered to promote exchange with other researchers and actors in the start-up scene. The goal is to effectively translate research results into marketable solutions and to provide sustainable impulses for science and industry.