Deadline: 15th October 2023

Registration for the The Future is Fungi Award 2023 are now open. With the Future is Fungi Award, they want to honour and discover the frontier and cutting-edge science that explores the use of fungi for environmental solutions. They aim to put the spotlight on NEW and EMERGING areas of fungal research and start-up innovation, bringing the depths of the forest into the light of day.

Its aim is also to inspire further research and innovation in the bottomless fields of fungal research and applications. Real-world problems need real-world solutions. That's why they also want to stimulate the commercialisation of fungal research, bring their solutions into the real world - and accelerate us onto a more sustainable and regenerative path.

Eligibility

For Researchers

• You can register for the survey at all stages - from
  • an idea
  • a tried and tested research, technology or demonstration
  • published research
  • a prototype

Pará Startups

Start-ups in the following stages can compete for the award:

• Pre-seed
• Seed
• Seed +
• Series A

Criteria

For researchers

• Environmental Relevance: The research should address one or more of the world's pressing environmental issues, such as climate change, ensuring food security and more sustainable agriculture, the need for a more circular economy, reducing pollution, the need to restore nature and support biodiversity, or the opportunities to replace or reduce unsustainable products with sustainable bio-based alternatives from fungi and thus unlock the potential of biology for more sustainable solutions. As the focus of the award is environmental impact, the pharmaceutical sector is not included.
• Impact: The research must have the potential to make 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 global issue, including cutting-edge or frontier research.
• Scientific rigour: Research must be based on sound scientific and ethical principles and methodologies.
• Collaboration: The research should demonstrate potential for collaboration with relevant stakeholders, including government agencies, industrial partners and other researchers.
• Commercialisation: The research must have a potential and viable path to commercialisation and real-world application.

For startups

• Environmental Relevance: The initial innovation should address one or more of the world's pressing environmental issues, such as climate change, ensuring food security and more sustainable agriculture, the need for a more circular economy, pollution, the need to restore nature and support biodiversity. The award also focuses on the opportunities to replace or reduce unsustainable products with sustainable bio-based alternatives from fungi and thus unlock the potential of biology for more sustainable solutions. As the focus of the award is environmental impact, the pharmaceutical sector is not included.
• Impact: An innovation in its launch phase must have the potential to cause a significant and positive environmental impact in a relevant field.
• Novelty: The initial innovation must present new, cutting-edge and innovative ideas, technologies, approaches or solutions to the relevant global issue.
• Customer discovery: The start-up must demonstrate a clear understanding of its target customers and the value its solution provides them.
• Expansion: The start-up's innovation has significant expansion potential and the start-up can outline a viable path for expansion.

Application

• Researchers can register here
• Sign up here

For more information, visit The Future is Fungi Award .