Deadline: October 15, 2023
Applications for The Future is Fungi Award 2023 are now open. With the Future is Fungi Award, they want to honor and uncover the frontier and cutting-edge science that explores the utilization of fungi for environmental solutions. They aim to put the spotlight on NEW and EMERGING areas of fungal research and start-up innovations, lifting them from the depth of the forest into the daylight.
Their goal is also to inspire further research and innovation in the bottomless fields of fungal research and applications. Real-world problems needs real-world solutions. They therefore also want to nudge the commercialization of fungal research, to bring its solutions into real world – and accelerate us onto a more sustainable, regenerative path.
Eligibility
For Researchers
- You can apply with research in all stages – from
- an idea
- a tested/proven research, technology or demonstration
- published research
- a prototype
For Startups
Start-ups in the following stages can apply for the award:
- Pre-seed
- Seed
- Seed +
- Series A
Criteria
For Researchers
- Environmental Relevance: The research should address one or more of the pressing environmental world issues such as climate change, ensuring food security and more sustainable agriculture, the need for a more circular economy, reducing pollution, the need for nature restoration and supporting biodiversity, or the opportunities of replacing or reducing non-sustainable products with sustainable biobased alternatives from fungi and hence unlocking the potential of biology for more sustainable solutions. As the focus of the award is environmental impact, pharma is not included.
- Impact: The research should have the potential to bring about a significant and positive environmental and sustainability impact in the relevant field. It may involve small-scale solutions that can have a significant impact.
- Novelty: The research should present new and innovative ideas, technologies, approaches or solutions to the relevant world issue, including cutting-edge or frontier research.
- Scientific Rigor: The research should be based on sound scientific and ethical principles and methodology.
- Collaboration: The research should demonstrate potential for collaboration with relevant stakeholders, including government agencies, industrial partners, and other researchers.
- Commercialization: The research should have a potential and viable route to reach commercialization and application in the real world.
For Startups
- Environmental Relevance: The start-up innovation should address one or more of the pressing environmental world issues such as climate change, ensuring food security and more sustainable agriculture, the need for a more circular economy, pollution, the need for nature restoration and supporting biodiversity, or the opportunities of replacing or reducing non-sustainable products with sustainable biobased alternatives from fungi and hence unlocking the potential of biology for more sustainable solutions. As the focus of the award is environmental impact, pharma is not included.
- Impact: The start-up innovation should have the potential to bring about a significant and positive environmental impact in the relevant field.
- Novelty: The start-up innovation should present new, cutting-edge and innovative ideas, technologies, approaches or solutions to the relevant world issue.
- Customer discovery: The start-up should demonstrate a clear understanding of their target customers and the value their solution provides for them.
- Scaling: The start-up innovation has significant scaling potential, and the start-up can outline a viable route for scale.
Application
For more information, visit The Future is Fungi Award.
