A commemorative certificate will be presented to each of the winners to recognise their success in securing a Research Challenge Fund award.
To start off the grant process some key steps must be completed:
- Most importantly they must complete, sign and return the legal documentation that HIE will send to them to govern the conduct of the R&D activity.
- We will set up introductory meetings between the project managers and HIE's Research Challenge Fund manager, Stephen Graham. Periodically we will meet up to review progress.
At the introductory meetings, HIE will introduce a special adviser to each project who will work with HIE and the winners throughout the lifespan of each R&D project. These advisers will be paid-for from HIE resources.
The advisers will:
- Attend the project review meetings.
- Provide general guidance (for example, to identify individuals who may be able to assist in a particular area of the project should difficulties arise or additional expertise be necessary).
- Provide technical advice (if requested).
- Assist with delivering the commercialisation goals of the project (if required).
HIE's project manager, Stephen Graham will:
- Organise the review meetings.
- Provide post-meeting reporting to all participants.
- Monitor the progress of each project against its stated milestones.
- Encourage an on-going focus on the post project strategy for further development work and /or commercialisation as the R&D project proceeds.
- Manage the claims and payments process.
- Be the first point of contact for requesting help on an ad-hoc basis.
After each winner’s R&D project is complete, HIE will arrange a further meeting within six months to keep informed of the progress that has been made in taking the findings forward. It is intended that this meeting should identify any areas that may require further help and what type of input would be desirable.
Periodically thereafter, HIE will meet with each winner to ensure our continued support for their project’s advancement and to monitor the impact of this inaugural Research Challenge Fund competition.
There are a couple of important points to note:
- As the Research Challenge Fund competition is supported by the European Union, the undertaking between HIE and the winners requires that all public funding be repaid if the Intellectual Property Rights are sold or licensed outside of the Highlands and Islands area at any time up to 5 years after completion (completion being the date of last expenditure towards eligible costs on which grant was paid).
- If the results are not commercialised in the Highlands and Islands within 5 years from the final grant payment, then the results must be made available without discrimination to other firms in the Highlands and Islands area.
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