The purpose of the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) Collaborative Research Seed Program is to establish joint research collaborations leading to a long-term partnership that attracts external funding.

Researchers must work on a genuinely collaborative research project. UNSW and SJTU lead-investigators submit the same research project to both UNSW and SJTU. Each institution’s funds support its own researchers.

Applications must be focussed in one of the following areas:

• Renewable energy, sustainability and the environment.
• Health and health technologies.
• Urban futures.

There will be two stages of funding available:

1. Stage one - Seed Grants (due 23 Aug 2024): enabling travel/short visits between UNSW and SJTU researchers and project development. There will be 10 co-funded grants of AU$10,000 (for UNSW researchers) + ¥ 50,000 (for SJTU researchers) awarded for a duration of 12 months.

At the end of the 12 months, seed grant recipients will be invited to apply for Stage two - Project Grants:

2. Stage two - Project Grants (date to be confirmed): funding the next stage of larger collaborative research projects leveraging from the seed grants.  There will be two co-funded grants awarded of up to $AU50,000 (for UNSW researchers) + ¥ 250,000 (for SJTU researchers) per grant per year for two years (maximum total $AU100,000 + ¥ 500,000 per grant). The team will be expected to also seek additional external funding to fund the collaboration and be encouraged to include a joint-PhD student between UNSW and SJTU. The specific guidelines and application form for the project grants will be provided in 2025.

• Reciprocal visits between UNSW and SJTU.
• Steps towards establishing a joint-PhD candidature.
• Co-authored UNSW-SJTU publications in high ranked journals.
• The submission of a joint application for UNSW-SJTU Project Grant round, as well as other external funding sources.

• Applicants are only permitted to apply as a Lead Investigator on one application. A Lead Investigator may be included as an ‘Other Investigator’ on a separate application if it is for a different project.
• Adjunct/Honorary staff members whose home university is neither SJTU nor UNSW are not eligible to be lead-investigators but can be listed as co-investigators.

• The lead-UNSW Investigator must be at academic staff level B-D. NB: Level A & E staff and HDR candidates can be included as co-Investigators.
• Lead Investigators must be researchers holding a salaried appointment with UNSW, or a formal conjoint position from one of UNSW’s affiliated Medical Research Institutes.
• The lead investigator must be based in Australia.

• The lead-SJTU Investigator must be permanent or fixed-term academic staff of SJTU.

Eligible items for seed funding (UNSW):

• Travel costs between UNSW and SJTU of researchers associated with the project.
• Reimbursement of living and hosting costs of visiting researchers from each institution.
• Workshop or meeting costs.
• Minor research costs associated with the project. Not to exceed 30% of grant.
• Eligible and ineligible items for the second-stage project grants will be confirmed when the round opens.

Items not eligible for funding for seed funding (UNSW):

• Salaries (for professional or academic staff, including Research Assistant/Technician salaries).
• Scholarship top-ups for research students.
• Conference registration fees.

Funding from SJTU:

• At least 90% of the grant:

• Travel costs for researchers and/or students associated with the project.
• Reimbursement of living and hosting costs of visiting researchers from each institution.

• Salaries/stipends and scholarships

All expenditure must be in accordance with the guidelines. Expenditure outside of these guidelines may need to be returned. 

1. Scientific quality of the project (30%)
2. Strength of research team relative to opportunity (20%)
3. Complementarity between UNSW and SJTU researchers (20%)
4. Alignment to scheme objectives and desired outcomes (30%)

Review: Applications are assessed by both UNSW and SJTU and the combined top-ranked proposals will be funded.

APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT PROCESS for seed grants

Applications open: 1 July 2024

Applications close: 23 August 2024

Anticipated announcement: Late October 2024

Anticipated grant commencement: 1 January 2025

Anticipated grant end date: 31 December 2025

Submission: The lead investigators from UNSW and SJTU need to work together to prepare a joint application. The lead-investigators submit identical applications to both UNSW and SJTU that consists of the below application form and CV of the UNSW and SJTU lead investigators. Convert application into a single PDF before submitting.

UNSW-lead: 

• Submit application to international.RSO@unsw.edu.au and attach an email from your Head of School supporting your submission.

SJTU-lead: 

• The applicant needs to apply online via “Jiao Wo Ban 交我办” portal- “Collaborative Seed Fund APPLICATION FORM 学术交流基金申请表” (link: https://my.sjtu.edu.cn/).
• The application form “SJTU-UNSW Collaborative Research Fund（Stage 1）APPLICATION FORM: SEED GRANTS” needs to be filled in and uploaded in “附件 Project Details” section.
• Please note that this page can only be accessed by the SJTU lead investigator with a jAccount.

A final report will be required at the end of the seed grant providing evidence of outcomes of the funding and expenditure against the awarded amount, as well as next steps to further partner engagement.

Grants must be fully expended within the awarded period and extensions will not be granted. Any unspent funds will be returned.

Please email: international.RSO@unsw.edu.au (UNSW) or enjiazhuang@sjtu.edu.cn (SJTU)