TURBO program and grants
The University of Twente and Radboud university medical center have set up the Twente University RadBoudumc Opportunities (TURBO) program. Together they will supply four TURBO grants.
read moreTURBO program and grants
Following the partnership agreement between the University of Twente and Radboud university medical center, in 2017, a new collaborative grant program was launched, named the Twente University Radboudumc Opportunities (TURBO) programme. Annually, the two institutions will jointly supply four TURBO grants of 80K€ each. This pre-seed subsidy aims to support a new joint grant application of a researcher of the University of Twente with a colleague of Radboudumc. The grants can be spent freely with an emphasis on generating sufficient background for the new grant proposal.
Projects bring together health and technology (in the broadest sense). Projects should be innovative and can be fundamental, applied, or implementation science, preferably as they aim to increase Technology Readiness Level (TRL) or Societal Readiness Level (SRL). Higher TRLs or SLRs (TRL or SRL of 5 or above) are preferred. The focus of the project and the envisioned external grant application should be integrated in a Radboudumc Research Program and on the interface of unmet need conditions, health and/ or medical technologies, building on existing data sources/ infrastructures.
In May 2024, Radboudumc and the University of Twente will enter into a new collaboration agreement. The TURBO projects should be in line with the ambition to couple the medical unmet need with technology to improve health and healthcare by developing new diagnostic methods and new and improved therapies for diseases that currently cannot be diagnosed or treated well. Opportunities to improve these lie in development and application of new technological methods (e.g. organ-on-a-chip), the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning for the analysis of large amounts of data, technological developments related to e-health, as well as legal, safety, ethical, financial, risk-associated and practical considerations that are key to the implementation of medical technology.
Although TURBO projects could take place in all of these fields, the major aim of the TURBO-assisted grant application should be to get the application a step closer to the market. The projects could concern innovation in Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) with technology (in collaboration with the domain of care & wellbeing).
Please make sure to read the complete Call text.
Criteria
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- The project is a collaboration between a researcher from the University of Twente (scientific staff or tenure track) and a Radboudumc Research Group Leader (RGL), a Talent Tracker (TT), or a member of a Radboudumc RLG-research group. The RGL is part of the application team, but is not necessarily the main applicant.
- A researcher is allowed to submit only one project as applicant or team member. Those who received a TURBO grant as main applicant in last year’s round cannot apply in this round. Those who received a TURBO grant in any previous round could apply if they fulfilled the conditions of TURBO, i.e. applied for an external grant based on the TURBO project.
- Collaboration between the two parties is evident both in the research proposal and the budget plan. The project’s aim cannot be met without the joint expertise of the applicants from both Institutions. Please note that new collaborations are favored above existing collaborations.
- Collaboration with additional applicants is possible, but the TURBO resources remain internally at UT and Radboudumc. Other partners can bring in additional resources for the project.
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- Projects bring together health and technology (in the broadest sense). Projects should be innovative and can be fundamental, applied or implementation science. Higher TRLs or SLRs are preferred.
- The focus of the project and the envisioned external grant application should be integrated in a Radboudumc Research Program and on the interface of unmet need conditions, health and/ or medical technologies, building on existing data sources/ infrastructures.
- The proposed external funding body is known, and accompanying application deadlines are within max. 15 months after the start of the TURBO project.
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- According to the TURBO grant budget plan format, the project represents a value of 80k€ and has to be supported by a clear budget plan.
- The budget will be to the department of the main applicants. We strive to have an even distribution of the budget: 40 k€ to the main applicant from Twente University and 40 k€ to the main applicant from Radboudumc.
- The project is feasible with the funded subsidy (80k€) and within the proposed time span of max. 1 year. The project includes the finalization of an external grant application within the project time span.
Evaluation committee
- The evaluation committee is chaired by an external representative
- There are two permanently appointed members; one from each institution
- There are two scientific experts taking a seat on the committee, representing the reviewers.
- Grant advisors of both institutions are represented
Evaluation committee
Every proposal is evaluated by at least two independent scientific experts (reviewers) and a grant advisor from each institution according to the criteria:
- (scientific) quality (50%)
- feasibility of project and likelihood of obtaining additional funding (20%)
- innovativeness (15%)
- (societal) impact (15%).
Projects that do not fulfil the general criteria and required focus will not be taken into consideration by the evaluation committee. The combined scores of both institutions are the basis for a final ranking by the evaluation committee. The evaluation committee must come to a unanimous agreement. If no consensus can be reached, the chairman will make the final decision.
Time line
- 23 April 2024: Announcement TURBO round 2025
- 6 June 2024: Online matchmaking event Radboudumc and University of Twente
- 15 July 2024: Deadline full proposal TURBO grant (23:59 am)
- July – September: Applications evaluated by reviewers and the committee
- 16 October 2024: Granting meeting (online)
- No later than 1 January 2025: Start of projects
- 31 December 2025: End of projects and draft grant proposal written
- Before April 2026: Submitted grant application at external funding body
Registration TURBO meeting Online Matchmaking Event
The TURBO grants will be awarded during the Granting Meeting on 16 October 2024.
Submit proposals
Use these documents to submit your TURBO grant proposal. Proposals must be submitted to techmed@utwente.nl.