The WUN network launches a call to support the initation of collaborative projects
UNIL is a member of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN). The network runs the Research Development Fund (RDF) which supports the initiation of collaborative research under the network’s principal research theme of sustainable development.
Topic
The theme of the RDF 2020 call is Sustainable Recovery. As the world approaches investment in recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing attention is being paid to doing this in ways that will be sustainable.
With the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as points of reference, WUN encourages proposals that address sustainable recovery in one or more of the following SDGs:
Funding
The Research Development Fund provides grants of up to GBP 10,000 for one year to foster research collaborations among academic staff at WUN member universities. Grants from the RDF are intended to help stimulate larger collaborative projects that will strengthen WUN and make the collaborating partners competitive for major awards.
Partners
The project should engage at least three WUN member universities across at least two countries. Projects with partners in more than one WUN region will be favoured. Non-WUN universities and external partners may be included, but the project must have an active core of WUN member universities.
Eligibility
UNIL professors, MER 1 and MA may submit a project. Please note that UNIL academic staff can apply as principal investigator or as co-investigator. The application must be submitted by the principal investigator.
Application process
Proposals led by a UNIL principal investigator must be submitted to the UNIL International Relations Office via a pre-application form. The UNIL deadline to submit a project is 16 September 2020.
Two projects will be selected by a UNIL internal scientific committee, as WUN will support maximum two projects from each member university. There is no limit in the number of projects with UNIL co-investigators eligible for funding, though.
The results of the UNIL evaluation will be communicated to the applicants by 25 September 2020. Successful applicants will be required to expand their project description and to submit it via the WUN online application platform by 23 October 2020. WUN will then evaluate the projects.
Awards will be announced by WUN on 11 December 2020.
More information
More details about the call are available in the call text. If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact Mr Marc Pilloud at the UNIL International Relations Office (T. 021 629 20 23, except Thursday afternoon).