€15M program for biophotonics research opens

12 Sep 2012

Joint initiative by seven countries and regions aims to stimulate new biophotonics-related R&D projects.

Biophotonics Plus is a joint initiative by seven countries and regions intended to stimulate and fund new biophotonics-related R&D projects. The aim behind the international initiative is to transform existing biophotonic technologies and methods into appliances and adapt them into clinical, medical or related industrial techniques.

To this end, up to € 15 million of government grants will be awarded to innovative project proposals which will each involve eligible participants from at least two of the participating countries and regions, comprising Germany, the UK, Israel, Latvia, Catalonia, Flanders and Tuscany.

The BiophotonicsPlus European Competition for Collaborative R&D Funding will commence on 1 October 2012 with the launch of the transnational call for project proposals. Detailed information will be available on this website from that date on; there is already much background information and terms available for interested parties.

Interested parties can obtain additional information in the section Eligibility Rules or by the national and regional contacts, also posted on the site.

Potential project partners that have already posted their details and areas of interest include: the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS, Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS, Fraunhofer-Institute for Laser Technology, Medical Laser Center Lübeck, and Toptica Photonics, (Germany); Gooch & Housego, Heriot-Watt University, National Physical Laboratory, and Optos plc, (United Kingdom); and Jerusalem College of Technology and Novatrans, (Israel).

Promotional events

The competition will also be pre-announced at various events and exhibitions taking place in Europe between now and the opening date.

A partner search facility, which allows potential partners to present their company’s or institute's expertise in biophotonics-related activities, to present a potential project idea or to search for project partners, is already online. Some of the upcoming events where interested parties can learn more about the projects include:

Meeting on European funding opportunities Europäische FuE-Förderung für Optische Technologien - 11 October 2012, Berlin, Germany. The BiophotonicsPlus call will be presented by the VDI Technologiezentrum in the frame of a meeting on European funding opportunities.

Photonex Conference - 17&18 Oct. 2012, Coventry, UK. The presentation will be provided by the Technology Strategy Board.



European Funding Meeting (SEPNET) - 23 Oct. 2012, London, UK. The call will again be presented by the Technology Strategy Board.

1st International Biophotonics Meeting in Israel - 9 - 11 Dec. 2012, Tel Aviv, Israel.

About the Author

Matthew Peach is a contributing editor tooptics.org