Virtual and Augmented reality headsets are set to make a splash in the world of gaming in the future.

While many of the current headsets are still in a developmental stage, we’re already beginning to see the huge potential they can have for games. Microsoft showed how committed they are to making HoloLens a success during their E3 conference; but they’re not stopping with the gaming market.

What will ultimately determine the winner of these headset wars is sales. To that end, Microsoft is awarding grants of $100,000 and two HoloLens development kits to five different universities and research institutions. The winners of the grants will be tasked with exploring the capabilities of the HoloLens outside the confines of video games.

Microsoft says it’s primarily looking to “better understand the role and possible applications for holographic computing in society”, “stimulate and advance academic research in mixed reality” and “encourage applications of holograms for novel purposes.”

If successful, it opens up a whole new market for Microsoft to explore and act on, increasing HoloLens’ profitability and exposure.

The official project proposal page doesn’t give away too much detail about what exactly Microsoft is looking for their prospective researchers to discover, but they seem particularly keen to ensure their investments bear fruit. One of the conditions of winning a grant is that research teams provide Microsoft with “monthly calls and visits” and attend workshops held at the corporation’s Redmond headquarters.

If the HoloLens fails to take off when the age of virtual and augmented reality arrives, it won’t have been for the lack of trying - or the amount of money spent.