KIC Biochemical diversity

• New or improved enabling technologies for high-throughput exploration, analysis and utilisation of natural biochemical diversity

• Scalable, sustainable production processes based on engineered enzymes or cell factories harnessing novel biochemical pathways

• Enhanced cross-sector collaboration models and strengthened industry–academia partnerships

• Clear roadmaps to societal and economic impact, documented in robust Impact Plans

• Generation of novel knowledge and tools that reduce reliance on non-renewable resources and contribute to the Circular Bioeconomy

• Research must focus on developing/refining technologies that facilitate exploration, analysis or application of biochemical diversity to improve production-process sustainability

• Projects must be interdisciplinary and collaborative, involving academic institutes or universities of applied sciences plus private and/or public organisations

• Main applicants must hold a tenured position or tenure-track agreement; consortia must include at least one co-applicant and may involve other participants

• Funding request between €600,000 and €1,360,000 in NWO funding (80% of total budget maximum; NWO will not fund below 50% of total costs)

• Eligible cost categories: personnel, equipment, investments, knowledge utilisation and project management

• Applications must follow the Impact Plan approach and demonstrate societal problem linkage, hypotheses, scientific feasibility, consortium roles and routes to impact