Seven innovative projects receive UiB Idé funding

"The grant is really important for me. Otherwise we could not finance all the special equipment, which is very expensive. In addition, this grant allows me to put time into that project which I otherwise would not have", says Katharina Hauer, a a PhD Candidate at the Department of Physics and Technology.

Diamond as a semiconductor

She receives funding from UiB Idé for the project "Novel plasma reactor for synthesizing diamond as semiconductor material". In the project Hauer and colleagues aims to introduce a new reactor design that allows diamond growth on large areas while ensuring high quality.

The combination of a 3D power system and an innovative gas vortex system will help overcome the biggest hurdle in using diamonds as a semiconductor material. The UiB Idé commitee notes that if successful, the societal impact could be tremendous, introducing more efficient, longer lasting, and more environmentally friendly electronic devices. 

Hauer explains that the project addresses two challenges.

"First, growing diamond over large areas has been a challenge for years in the field. This project has the potential to have a big impact on a lot of applications. And second, it enables the widespread use of diamond as semiconductor material in industry. With the new reactor we proposed diamonds will become competitive to current solutions. And diamond has so many benefits. It would make electronics more environmentally friendly, and this is the most important point for me, she says.

The support from UiB Idé will be used to buy parts for the new reactor that are specifically needed for growing diamond wafers - for example a temperature-controlled substrate stage where the diamond is growing on - all the materials needed, and renting a lab space at the university.

Using AI to support local newsrooms

Professor Andreas L. Opdahl.

Photo:

Amanda Schei/UiB

Professor Andreas L. Opdahl at the Department of Information Science and Media Studies has been awarded funding from UiB Idé for the project Demokratibasen, which aims to use artificial intelligence (AI) to make municipal documents easily accessible to Norwegian local journalists, as well as to researchers, politicians, and the general public.

“This grant gives us the opportunity to enhance Demokratibasen with analytical techniques from the forefront of AI research,” says Opdahl. He adds that the funding from UiB Idé will, among other things, be used to develop methods for more accurate document summarization and for ranking municipal cases based on their potential newsworthiness.

• Read more about the project here (in Norwegian)

According to the UiB Idé committee, the team behind Demokratibasen is a strong and interdisciplinary project group with solid technological and journalistic foundations. The committee highlights, among other things, that the group has a long-term plan for continuing the project, including an established collaboration with the Centre for Investigative Journalism (SUJO) and VIS – and that a functioning prototype is already in place, with established use and support from industry stakeholders.

“The application combines high societal relevance with realistic activities, and the project clearly has potential for further growth, both technologically and organizationally,” the jury wrote in its justification for awarding the grant of NOK 500,000.

Board game to inspire youth

Student Bendik Hjertholm Voldseth and the team at the Geophysical Institute are testing the Physics Game, for which they have received funding from UiB Idé.

Photo:

Private

Student Bendik Hjertholm Voldseth and his team at the Geophysical Institute have received support from UiB Idé to develop an educational board game designed to make physics both fun and accessible. The project, named The Physics Game (Fysikkspillet), combines learning and play to create an engaging experience for young people – and perhaps even a commercial breakthrough.

“We’re all very happy to have received the grant! But due to exams, a master’s thesis, and selling an apartment, we haven’t had time to celebrate yet,” laughs Voldseth.

“The grant is essential for reaching our goal, as we simply don’t have the financial means to complete the project without this support.”

The funds will be used for professional illustration, as well as the production and testing of prototypes. The goal is to develop a finished board game that both entertains and promotes understanding of physics.

The UiB Idé committee highlights the project’s innovative combination of academic content, low technological barriers, and social interaction. Through play and collaboration, the game aims to lower the threshold for exploring physical concepts. It will be tested in schools in the Bergen area, and the team has already begun building a network of partners to ensure high quality and broad distribution.

25 applications

Out of 25 applications, the committee has decided to fully fund three student projects and four research projects, while one of the projects applied for NOK 50,000 and was therefore awarded the UiB Early Idea grant.

In total, the projects in 2025 have been allocated NOK 2,299,500 (see more info in fact box).

"I would like to congratulate all the recipients. Some impressed us through their creativity of idea, others through their ambition of applying their research to better people’s lives", says Yves Aubert, the leader of the UiB Idé program at the Division of Research and Innovation. 

This year saw a 50 % increase in UiB idé’s program budget, as a consequence of the many excellent project ideas that could not be funded in previous years due to budget size.

"I’m pleased to see that the additional funds have been well justified, and I am looking forward to seeing UiB students and researchers using the opportunity of UiB idé to spark children’s interest in physics, contribute to global water management, and use journalistic innovation to make the work of local governments more accountable", says Aubert.

The senior adviser adds that students, researchers and other staff and external guests will get the opportunity to learn more about the new UiB Idé projects at the UiB Innovation Day on 19th of September.