133 ERC grantees are bringing the results of their frontier research closer to the market thanks to Proof of Concept grants, awarded in three rounds during 2016. The winners of the last round have been announced in January and will receive top-up funding to explore the innovation potential of their ERC-funded discoveries. Chemistry-related research is also within these projects, for instance in the development of affordable synthetic superhydrophobic surfaces that could collect water from fog in arid areas. The Proof of Concept grants, worth €150,000 each, can be used for example to establish intellectual property rights, investigate business opportunities or conduct technical validation. The scheme is open to ERC grant holders only. The grantees can apply for funding in one of the three rounds of the yearly call.
Source: https://erc.europa.eu/