Sign Up a New TU Delft | Dream Team
Suppose you have a good idea and you want to realize it together with fellow students, would you be able to do this as a TU Delft | Dream Team?
To answer the this question, the most important criteria and procedural steps used by the D:DREAM Steering Committee on behalf of the TU Delft are listed below:
- The initiative must come entirely from students.
It is not the case that the TU Delft, a faculty, study program or any other body whatsoever can start TU Delft | Dream Team. At the most the TU Delft or external parties could help to make the preconditions for participation in a competition or one-off challenge as favorable as possible in order to speed up the germination of a TU Delft | Dream Team.
- The subject must be tangible, technical, challenging and groundbreaking and must distinguish itself sufficiently from other projects in terms of theme and must also fit within the strategy and objectives of the TU Delft.
This remains subjective, of course, but a council of wise people (called D:DREAM Steering Committee) decides on this.
- There is a clear competition-driven goal with a clear deadline and a realistic planning.
The (non-commercial) project goal must contain an element of competition (in an annual cycle or otherwise verifiable annual goal). Participation in an already existing and preferably annually recurring competition is a plus.
- A team is fully responsible from its own association or foundation and is not managed by the TU Delft or external parties, at most stimulated and/or advised.
Team must act from a non-profit legal personality (establishment of an association or foundation is mandatory).
- The project subject and team building must be multidisciplinary and interfaculty.
Student projects that clearly fall under 1 faculty in terms of subject or participants are not eligible for the TU Delft | Dream Team Status and are expected to be facilitated within the faculty. (Maximum 50% of the team members registered at the TU Delft may come from the same faculty).
- The team does not have to consist entirely of students from the TU Delft, but at least the team manager and 50% of the team members must be registered as students at the TU Delft.
The admissions committee considers it an advantage if a team also involves members of MBO, HBO or other WO than the TU Delft and has an inclusive composition.
- The activities of a TU Delft | Dream Team are extra-curricular: the assignment is not part of a regular study program and the students do not receive credits for this from the TU Delft.
If individual programs from the TU Delft or other educational institutions decide to grant privileges and/or credits for participating in a TU Delft | Dream Team then this goes outside the D:DREAM organization.
- The TU Delft considers it important that students can develop within their TU Delft | Dream Team Project, but at the same time has an eye for study progress and is therefore against full-time participation in a TU Delft | Dream Team for a period longer than 1 (study) year.
Procedure
If at least the aforementioned conditions are (can be) met, the initiator can contact the manager of TU Delft | Dreamhall (preferably via a message to Operations-DreamHall@tudelft.nl). Keep in mind: the application process takes time. An extensive sign-up form, with associated additional information, must be delivered. If interested, you can send a message to Operations-DreamHall@tudelft.nl to be informed about the entire process.
If, in the opinion of the TU Delft | Dream Hall manager, the initiative meets the basic conditions and there is room for an additional TU Delft | Dream Team*, he will arrange a meeting at which the initiator(s) are given the opportunity to present the initiative to an evaluation committee acting on behalf of the Steering Committee.
In addition to the above points, the evaluation committee will also consider matters such as:
- Social-cultural relevance
- Uniqueness/originality of the project goal
- Degree of technological challenge and radical innovation
- Security risk inherent to the subject matter of the project/project objective
- Achievability (technical, organizational and financial)
- Participation (participation from MBO, HBO and/or other WOs is an advantage)
- Potential publicity values and detriment risks
- Possibility to facilitate (in the TU Delft | Dream Hall or elsewhere on campus)
- Does the project meet the additional requirements*
*The requirements for the TU Delft | Dream Team Projects have been tightened up in the academic year of 2020-2021.
First of all, it is good to know that from academic year 2021-2022, the TU Delft will be able to host a maximum of 10 teams at TU Delft | Dream Team Status. When awarded, the team is told for which maximum period this award applies, with the absolute maximum being the period of 5 consecutive academic years. Every year, the steering committee will have the TU Delft | Dream Teams evaluated, where a negative assessment may result in the premature withdrawal of the TU Delft | Dream Team Status.
In addition to limiting the duration of the award (creating promotion and space for new initiatives), the TU Delft would also like to see a spread of subjects. To meet this requirement, the Steering Committee applies the rule that a maximum of 3 teams are active within the same theme, guided by the following themes: Health & Care, Energy transition, Digital Society, Climate Action, Urbanization & Mobility.
Although the TU Delft | Dream Hall is the home base for many teams, there are also projects that do not match well with what the hall can offer in terms of the need for facilities. Moreover, the capacity in the TU Delft | Dream Hall is not infinite. A maximum of 7 teams can be facilitated by the hall with its own workshop and office, within the D:DREAM concept it is possible to facilitate (maximum 3) teams from other locations on campus than from the TU Delft | Dream Hall. Facilitating parties (eg faculties) must then be prepared to do so. Customized agreements are made to facilitate production and/or training for these teams that are not housed in the TU Delft | Dream Hall.
What's next?
After this presentation and any questioning, the evaluation committee advises the Steering Committee and the initiator will receive a written response from the Steering Committee within a few weeks.
To avoid a “first come, first served” situation, assessments of new projects are combined in annual sessions as much as possible. Eligible initiatives are compared with each other and the Steering Committee makes choices based on this.
When awarded with the TU Delft | Dream Team Status, the actual support always coincides with the course years.
Privileges
What privileges does the TU Delft | Dream Team give?
- Teams with a TU Delft | Dream Team Status are eligible for RPF months from box5 (student projects).
- Teams with a TU Delft | Dream Team Status are eligible for financial support with regard to travel costs (from the CvB) and fall under the TU Delft insurance policies.
- Maximum 7 TU Delft | Dream Teams are eligible for accommodation in TU Delft | Dream Hall (own office and workshop).
- Teams with a TU Delft | Dream Team Status are eligible for support from the TU Delft | Dream Hall other than accommodation (advice/guidance, following instructions and workshops, use of the manufacturing facilities).
- Teams with a TU Delft | Dream Team Status benefits from this status in sponsor negotiations.
Obligations
What obligations does the TU Delft | Dream Team Status indicate?
TU Delft | Dream Teams must adhere to a set of contractual agreements that they make with the D:DREAM Steering Committee and with the hall manager when housing in/using the TU Delft | Dream Hall. This mainly concerns rules of conduct and agreements on advertising in return. It's too much to include these rules in full here, but they can be requested via Operations-DreamHall@tudelft.nl