{"id":255,"date":"2025-06-10T13:59:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T13:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aiportcenter.nl\/?page_id=255"},"modified":"2025-07-18T10:20:43","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T10:20:43","slug":"catalyzer2025","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/aiportcenter.nl\/index.php\/catalyzer2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Call for Action – Catalyzer 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Call for Action – Catalyzer 2025 <\/h2><\/div>

Catalyzer grant for academics with innovative projects and\/or valorization ideas regarding AI & data in the Port or with the Port and Maritime Community that will help build the AI Port<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Open call for academics with a position at TU Delft, Erasmus University to apply for a 5.000 – 25.000 Euro <\/a>grant to be spent in the period September 2025 \u2013 September 2026. Projects must start before October 2025.  Depending on the budget requested, between 2 and 3 projects will be funded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Apply Now<\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In Short<\/h3><\/div>

– 5000. – 25.000 Euro grant
– 10% of the funding should come from industry (in kind)
– At least 50 % of the project budget needs to be spent in 2025
– Submit Form and Project Description
– Timeline: 24.06.2025 to 31.08.2025 Call is opening

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Purpose<\/h3><\/div>

The purpose of this grant is to encourage academics to experiment with new and innovative types of impact-driven topics on questions related to AI & data in the Port or with the Port Community. This grant also aims to establish a community of researchers and educators working in an interdisciplinary manner on the topic of AI and data in the Port and maritime domain, which will help shape the AI Port Center\u2019s role in academic research and education, creating an impact together with the port and maritime communities.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Goal<\/h3><\/div>

The grant can be used in several ways, such as: building a consortium or coalition in preparation of a large research proposal, creating a prototype or demonstrator; developing a proof of concept; writing a whitepaper with a research agenda\/roadmap on an AI port-related challenge; kick-starting a knowledge network around AI & Ports; disseminating results further from a previous project; etc. It is also possible to apply for additional budget if there are specific communication activities linked to the project (e.g. workshop or event) towards the port & maritime community related to the use of AI.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Requirements<\/h3><\/div>

Include a brief motivation on why you are applying for this grant and what you aim to accomplish. Be reflective about how you see your project delivering a contribution to AI & data in relation to the Port domain while considering at least one of these topics:
– Role of AI in supporting decisions or improving processes in the port domain
– Innovative methodologies that incorporate AI
– Explainable, trustworthy and \/ or collaborative AI
– Legal and\/or ethical aspects of AI
– Responsible data sharing and AI
– Co-evolution of AI and other relevant technologies

It is preferred but not mandatory for the proposal to include researchers from both AI Port Center and convergence partners during the project (TU Delft, Erasmus University Rotterdam). The principal applicant should represent one of the Convergence partners. Other (academic) partners are welcome as co-applicants too, and it is seen as a decisive advantage.

You are encouraged to collaborate with external partners and match with existing impact initiatives and seeding grants within the universities.

Each researcher can only apply as the main applicant for one Catalyzer grant and as a co-applicant for one other Catalyzer grant per funding cycle.
A maximum of 40% of the funding can be allocated to external parties (with a fixed, fundable maximum hourly tariff of \u20ac100), such as consultancies for event planning and communications delivery. Exceptions can be made for purchasing research materials, prototyping, and lab facilities.
The funding cannot be used to compensate existing academic staff with permanent contracts, but it can be used to hire new temporary staff or expand existing contracts (e.g., extending postdoc positions, hiring junior research assistants). In addition, all project expenditures need to be made before August 2026 and at least 50 % of the project budget needs to be spent in 2025. \u2003
Your faculty project management office and department head must check and agree upon the budget allocation proposed and agree to provide back-office and project management support.

Successful applicants will be expected to co-create a clear project monitoring structure and impact outlook with AI Port staff, in the form of a mid-term meeting and a living document of deliverable(s). Applicants may also be asked to present their AI Port supported work at interim or final project stages, subject to mutually aligned opportunities. Successful applicants will help to shape the research agenda of AI Port.

This Catalyzer projects are regarded as an important first step toward developing future research. The multiplier effect is foreseen through strategic engagement with existing AI Port and Convergence networks, building momentum for more ambitious and applied research collaborations. These projects are intentionally designed to serve as a start for larger, interdisciplinary follow-up proposals within TU Delft and Erasmus University Rotterdam.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Communication and dissemination<\/h3><\/div>

Dissemination and communication of the project happens in close collaboration with the AI Port team. In addition, AI Port is included in stakeholder selection and collaboration, if applicable. Granted projects are encouraged to participate in research and dissemination activities organized within AI port.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n


AI Port Center offers<\/h3><\/div>

Guidance\/project supervision by the AI Port team;
Support in spreading and linking your proposal to other (funding) initiatives and\/or calls;
Free use of co-working, experimentation, and meeting space at ECDA \/ Mondai: houses of AI in Rotterdam and Delft.
Support to set up links\/collaborations with local stakeholders and researchers from other disciplines within Convergence, Port and City of Rotterdam, and other public and private partners (subject to capacity);
A podium for sharing your research and impact ideas, and access to new networks;
Access to the AI Port community; involvement in theme semesters or other events;<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n


Timeline<\/h3><\/div>

Start of Call: 03.07.2025
End of Call: 31.08.2025
The AI Port Center team evaluates proposals.
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Apply Now<\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Open call for academics with a position at TU Delft, Erasmus University to apply for a 5.000 – 25.000 Euro grant to be spent in the period September 2025 \u2013 September 2026. Projects must start before October 2025.  Depending on the budget requested, between 2 and 3 projects will be funded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-255","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"blocksy_meta":{"has_hero_section":"disabled","styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":6}},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"peterwenzel","author_link":"https:\/\/aiportcenter.nl\/index.php\/author\/peterwenzel\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Open call for academics with a position at TU Delft, Erasmus University to apply for a 5.000 – 25.000 Euro grant to be spent in the period September 2025 \u2013 September 2026. Projects must start before October 2025.  Depending on the budget requested, between 2 and 3 projects will be funded.","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aiportcenter.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/255","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aiportcenter.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aiportcenter.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aiportcenter.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aiportcenter.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/aiportcenter.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/255\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":309,"href":"https:\/\/aiportcenter.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/255\/revisions\/309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aiportcenter.nl\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}