Research Collaboration Fund

About the UGPN Research Collaboration Fund (RCF)

The University Global Partnership Network (UGPN) is a global platform for academics and students from world-leading universities to collaborate to address sustainability challenges across diverse global regions and communities. Members include North Carolina State University (NC State), Universidade de São Paulo (USP) and the University of Surrey (UoS).

The Research Collaboration Fund (RCF) provides seed-funding to foster innovative, high-quality and transdisciplinary research collaborations among the UGPN partner institutions.

With a focus on addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the RCF supports bilateral and trilateral research teams connecting the UGPN partners to catalyse research-led projects for academic and societal impact.

We welcome engagement and co-creation with stakeholders in industry, policy or community, and we encourage projects that support early-career researchers in building their global networks or enable the inclusion of PhD students for enhanced research training.

In the academic year 2023/2024, UGPN partners have awarded funding for 8 new project teams to undertake cutting-edge research on a range of topics, including health, clean energy, and gender equality. Projects are addressing challenges such as the use of AI for sustainable healthcare and precision medicine; access to menstrual health and hygiene in low- and middle-income regions; and animal welfare in livestock production.

Deadline for submission & key dates

Call for proposals opens: Monday 15 April 2024

Submission deadline: Thursday 20 June 2024 (17:00 UTC)

Results announced by: Wednesday 31 July 2024

Project period: 1 August 2024 - 31 July 2025

Who can apply

Proposals are invited from permanent, tenured or tenure track faculty at all UGPN universities, as well as research professionals (those who comply with Sponsored Programs eligibility requirements) at NC State.

All proposals must involve collaboration between university-eligible faculty from at least two of UGPN partners, with trilateral collaboration particularly welcomed.

Please note:
→ Post-doctoral researchers based at the Universidade de São Paulo are not eligible to lead a project or receive funding for mobility.
→ We welcome proposals by applicants who have previously been involved or worked together on a UGPN RCF project but the PI and research team must demonstrate how the proposal tackles a new problem and is distinct from previously funded projects.

What can be funded

Planned expenditures should align with the participating institutions' financial policies. Eligible costs include:

• NC State: travel and subsistence; consumables directly related to the project; dissemination of results.
• USP: travel and subsistence; consumables directly related to the project; dissemination of results.
• University of Surrey: travel and subsistence; consumables directly related to the project; dissemination of results; and payment for research assistants.

Travel & subsistence costs may include international and local travel, accommodation and subsistence associated with researchers spending time at partner institutions. Subsistence costs need to be line with staff expenditure policies at each participating institution.

Consumables directly related to the research project may include costs associated with hosting meetings, workshops and seminars, or costs for testing equipment, databases etc.

Dissemination costs may be requested for publications, media and other resources; the development of teaching and curriculum materials; and public engagement activities.

Research assistants can only be funded at the University of Surrey.

The inclusion of PhD or other Higher Degree Research students as project investigators must be indicated in the application.

Please note that funding for the use of a UGPN partner’s laboratory facilities and infrastructure may not be included.

Evaluation criteria

Proposals that meet the eligibility requirements will be reviewed and assessed by internal review panels at each of the three universities. A joint committee consisting of representatives from all UGPN partners will make the final decision for awards.

Proposals will be assessed with reference to the following criteria:

1. Relevance: degree to which the project addresses a globally important challenge and demonstrates innovative, transdisciplinary and sustainable collaboration among UGPN partners;
2. Proposal content: clearly articulates measurable goals, objectives and activities that are feasible (evidenced by a reasonable and justified budget) and align with the purpose of the RCF;
3. Outputs & impact: focus on achievable results that can lead to high impact outputs and the potential to leverage future funding, and clearly articulated pathways to academic and societal impact.
4. Research Team: involvement of a diverse team of appropriately qualified researchers from at least two UGPN partners (with diversity to include disciplinary approaches and gender, skills, and career profile of the researchers (PhD, Early Career Researcher, Mid-Career Researcher, etc)

In making their decisions, the joint selection panel will seek to support a representative variety of research topics.

Reporting & acknowledgement

Acknowledgement of UGPN support: Recipients are expected to acknowledge UGPN in all subsequent published material and presentations.

Reporting: Successful applicants are required to submit a final report no later than one month after the end of the grant period.