SIA KIEM Labour-saving AI

Grant funding is available to support research into concrete practical questions, which can develop into follow-up applications or larger innovation projects within the context of labour-saving AI.

The Nationaal Regieorgaan Praktijkgericht Onderzoek SIA (National Taskforce for Applied Research SIA) is part of the Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO – Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research), and has the task of stimulating the development of practice-oriented research at universities of applied sciences (hogescholen).

The Knowledge and Innovation Mapping (KIEM) funding instrument enables one-year practice-oriented research projects in which researchers and private parties work together. By implementing the KIEM regulations, SlA contributes to the Knowledge and Innovation Covenant (KIC) 2024-2027.

The goal of KIEM Labour-Saving AI is to investigate new practical questions through practice-oriented research activities. The proposed research must focus on applying testable and existing AI applications (use cases) in organisations (SMEs and/or public organisations) based on questions and needs from professional practice. This AI application thus contributes to labour savings and/or increased productivity within the organisation of the practical partner(s) where and with whom the research is conducted.

This call explicitly concerns applications that are (at least) in an advanced stage of development and can be tested in a realistic work environment. In concrete terms, this means that only AI solutions from the proof-of-concept stage with demonstrable effectiveness, AI prototype, beta version, or existing AI solutions (commercial or open-source) that are ready for immediate application in professional practice are eligible.