UCL-SJTU - Joint Call for Collaborative Projects and Exchange Activities

University College London (UCL) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) are contributing matching funds to support collaborative education and research initiatives through a joint call for proposals for the development of collaborative activities.

1. Projects

1. This call invites research proposals in the areas of mutual interest and complementary strengths that will strengthen the partnership between UCL and SJTU.
2. Proposals must include participants from both institutions.
3. Proposals from all fields are welcome but the following areas will be prioritised:
   1. Proposals aimed at addressing and mitigating the health, social, economic, cultural and environmental impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.
   2. Proposals relating to one or more of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
4. Up to six joint projects will be selected for funding. Proposals will be assessed by a committee composed of members from both institutions. Priority will be given to emerging collaborations that have not previously received funding.

2. Eligibility for UCL participants within the scope of this call

Applications are open to UCL staff members with the following roles:

• Professor/Professorial Teaching Fellow or equivalent.
• Reader or equivalent.
• Senior Lecturer/Principal Researcher/Principal Research Associate/Senior Teaching Fellow or equivalent.
• Lecturer/Senior Research Associate/Teaching Fellow or equivalent.
• Post Doc/Researcher/Post Doc Fellow/Research Associate or equivalent – eligible provided the contract covers the spend and activity period.
• Applicants are not required to have a doctorate to apply, but do need to hold a role at one of the levels described above.
• PhD students are not eligible to apply, but are encouraged to take part in the project. 

3. Collaboration Activities

Given the uncertainty surrounding international travel, we strongly encourage applicants to explore methods of remote collaboration, within the limits of what is permissible within the financial regulations of each institution. Activities can include:

• Developing joint research projects.
• Organising a joint seminar/workshop (remotely or in person, with travel restrictions in mind), including costs for any external services required to facilitate seminar/workshop. E.g. Professional moderation or technical support.
• Visiting a collaborator to work on a research paper/project or other research activity that cannot be carried out remotely.
• Stipends for research assistants, interns and students.
• Doctoral student mobility.
• Services used to disseminate results.
• This list isn’t exhaustive and we understand that there may be other ways you wish to conduct the project.

4. Value and Duration

Up to six successful proposals will receive up to £10,000 in total. Funding will be provided jointly by UCL and SJTU and will be comprised of 5,000 GBP from UCL to the UCL academic and 50,000 RMB from SJTU to the SJTU academic. However, only one proposal should be submitted. 

Please note that UCL and SJTU have different financial years and this will have an impact on the funding schedule. Funds provided by UCL must be spent by 31 July 2021. Funds provided by SJTU can be spent for up to 2 years. Applicants should take this into account when planning their proposed activity.

 5. Timeline

6. Submission of Proposals

1. Proposals are to be prepared and submitted jointly. Each proposal must be submitted by the lead-UCL academic by 9am (GMT) 16 November 2020.
2. The lead SJTU applicant is also required to complete this budget spreadsheet and send it to WU Yanping: wuyanping@sjtu.edu.cn  (see website)
3. Proposals must be submitted to UCL at the following link: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/global/ucl-sjtu-strategic-partner-funds 

7. Adjudication

1. i) Proposals are received by UCL’s Global Engagement Office and forwarded to SJTU for separate review at each institution.
2. ii) Selection Criteria: Both internal review committees will assess each proposal according to the following criteria:

• • Project design and rationale (how clearly presented and justified is the design and basis for the collaboration)
  • Project impact (how clearly linked are the outcomes to the planned activities and performance indicators, such as joint papers, external funding applications, joint research with industry and proposal for policy recommendations)
  • Impact of collaboration (is there a distinct advantage provided by this collaboration that is not possible by the two institutions working individually?)
  • Capacity for future collaboration (what is the extent to which future collaborations are possible as a result of the proposed exchange activities.)

1. iii) A joint committee will convene to select up to six final proposals.

8. Communication of Results

Final results will be announced by means of an email communication to the successful faculty members.

9. Reporting After Project Completion

All awardees must, as a condition of receiving an award under this call, complete a narrative report of achievements (of between 1 and 2 pages), shortly after the project’s completion.