innovate! academy

You can find the contact person in charge on the project page of the Joachim Herz Foundation’s website. You can contact the project team at inno-akademie@joachim-herz-stiftung.de.

Through the innovate! academy, we support interdisciplinary, innovative research in Germany that ideally operates at the intersection of materials science, natural sciences, and engineering, with the aim of jointly developing advanced solutions to societal problems. In particular, we seek to support research with socioeconomic potential that paves the way for practical applications. Researchers receive two years of funding, which allows them to focus on knowledge transfer and pursue their entrepreneurial or socially relevant ideas. They also become part of a network of dedicated scientists and can acquire additional knowledge and skills through targeted seminars and advisory services to bring their research results into practical application.
 

The key criteria for this funding opportunity are as follows:

• You are affiliated with a public or tax-exempt research institution in Germany as a researcher, or you have a job offer from such an institution. In addition to postdocs, applications are also welcome from junior research group leaders up to junior professors.
• You are working on an interdisciplinary research project at the intersection of engineering, natural sciences, and materials science with high relevance to the development of water-enabled materials
• You have a clear desire to focus on research transfer and to pursue your entrepreneurial idea.
• Additional third-party funding beyond this project grant does not necessarily disqualify your application. If you have secured (early-career) grants, you remain eligible to apply to the innovate! academy. If in doubt, please contact the Joachim Herz Foundation before applying to clarify your individual situation. Third-party funding for the same research project from other sources must be disclosed in the application.
   

The date on which the applicant completed their doctoral degree (the date of the oral defense or a comparable examination) must not have been more than ten years prior to the application deadline.

Yes, a fixed-term employment contract is not a disqualifying factor. What matters is whether you have an existing employment relationship as of the date of application. Along with your application, you must submit a confirmation from the relevant institution stating that both a position and the infrastructure necessary to carry out the project will be provided for the duration of the grant. The grant may also be used to fund your own position.

The grant is generally intended for individuals. However, close collaboration with other researchers or partners from the field within the scope of the project is strongly encouraged and should be described in the application.

Yes. Applications may be submitted in either German or English. Please make sure to use only one language throughout your application.

To apply, you must submit your master’s or doctoral degree certificate. This may also be a transcript of grades from your master’s and doctoral programs—even if these were completed some time ago.

Since this is essentially a grant for individual researchers, please describe both your personal research agenda and the project that will be the focus of this grant.
 

The letter of recommendation may include both aspects. In addition to the standard content of a letter of recommendation, the letter should specifically highlight why you, in particular, deserve funding for your specific transfer project. It should also address the degree of innovation in the transfer project.

If you are not affiliated with a department or research group, please submit a letter of recommendation from a professor of your choice. 

1. Personal Information
2. Contact Information
3. Employment Information
4. Education
5. Research Information
6. Motivation
7. Intellectual Property (IP) Information
8. Required attachments/uploads:

• Curriculum Vitae (maximum 4 A4 pages)
• Milestone plan for the project and the transfer initiative (interim goals, time-critical project events, reactive measures in case of problems), (maximum 2 A4 pages)
• Cost plan / Funding budget / Resource requirements
  Please submit a tabular calculation of the estimated costs for the 24-month period using the template in the application portal. This should cover the cost categories of personnel, materials (e.g., technical equipment and consumables), travel/conference participation, public relations, and miscellaneous.
  The total amount of funding requested may not exceed 250,000 EUR, with material costs not exceeding 100,000 EUR.
• Proof of academic achievement (copy of degree certificate / transcript of records, or doctoral degree certificate)
• Letter of recommendation addressing the project’s prospects for success and the degree of innovation
• Confirmation from a university or a non-university research institution in Germany that, upon admission to the innovate! academy, a corresponding position and a suitable workspace will be provided, and that the time required to implement the described project will be allocated.
• Optional: additional uploads such as graphics, research results, or important supplements to the previous information

You will also be directed to all necessary documents on the online application portal.

If a graphic significantly enhances your project presentation, feel free to include it. Please note that the application should still be kept brief. For the rest of the layout, only paragraphs may be used (see the sections on research and motivation).
 

Estimated figures are sufficient. We recommend presenting the budget breakdown in as much detail as possible. The more detailed your information is, the better the jury can visualize your project. The table template is available on the online application portal. Changes to the originally planned budget allocation are possible during the course of the grant period, subject to approval by the Joachim Herz Foundation. In such cases, a justification for the deviation from the original budget allocation must be submitted.

No, your highest degree (doctoral degree) is sufficient. It is up to you which other academic credentials (diploma, master’s, bachelor’s) you submit. All documents will be taken into account in the evaluation.

Documents may be submitted after the application deadline only in exceptional cases. If the supervisor prefers to send the statement directly to the Joachim Herz Foundation, the document may be emailed to inno-akademie(at)joachim-herz-stiftung.de.

After a formal review of the applications, they are forwarded to the jury, which is composed of independent experts. The selection process consists of two stages: Following an initial screening based on at least two written evaluations, successful candidates will be invited to a personal interview in Hamburg. Approximately seven candidates are admitted to the “innovate!
academy” each year.

Selection criteria include:

• Scientific excellence, as well as the robustness and quality of the research project
• Potential of the transfer project (including market/competitive analysis and TRL assessment)
• Feasibility, resource planning, and IP situation
• Motivation of the applicant
• Networks and collaborations with partners from industry and/or society
• Relevance and societal benefit/impact of the project

The confirmation email will be sent automatically. Please wait at least one day and check your spam folder as well. If you still haven't received an email, please contact the project team at inno-akademie@joachim-herz-stiftung.de.
 

Participation in the seminar program is mandatory. One cycle of the program consists of in-person and online sessions totaling 10–15 working days over a two-year period. We view the seminar program as a major benefit for participants, as it is explicitly tailored to their expressed needs prior to the start of each cohort.

Yes. The funds may also be used to hire doctoral candidates, postdocs, and student assistants, provided they devote all of their working hours to the knowledge transfer project. This must be reflected accordingly in the budget as personnel expenses.

No. This is a maximum limit. Lower classifications are also possible.

Yes. The funds may be used to acquire and process data, provided that there is a clear connection to the recipient’s own research.
 

As part of the grant, regular interim reports and a final report are required. The foundation is available to provide guidance and will assist you in documenting and communicating your project results.