The Research Development Fund is a catalytic fund bringing together WUN researchers from around the world to undertake innovative, high quality, sustainable research that addresses one of the four WUN Global Challenges.
The Research Development Fund (RDF) offers grants of up to £10,000 (to be matched by the institution). As an indication, a total of over £154,000 was invested across 16 projects in the 2018 WUN RDF.
As a WUN (Worldwide Universities Network) member university, we may submit a maximum of two proposals. Proposals must demonstrate quality and leadership and must outline a realistic, well-considered plan to achieve on-going sustainability and financial support outside of WUN and be related to one of the WUN Global Challenges:
- Responding to Climate Change
- Public Health
- Global Higher Education and Research
- Understanding Cultures
The development of research on the Global Challenges is supported by four Steering Groups, and by four cross-cutting groups that support, promote and enable a focus on Africa and China and underpinning investigations on big data and economics. The RDF provides an important mechanism for these groups to stimulate new research initiatives on the Global Challenges.
As part of the WUN Strategic Plan 2017-2020, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals will inform research priorities within the WUN Global Challenge framework. Therefore, a clear articulation of how the proposal aligns with one or more relevant United Nations Sustainable Development Goals within the context of the WUN Global Challenge(s) will be seen as a distinct advantage.
The official Call for Proposals has been released and Expressions of Interest (EOI) are invited internally, to be submitted by the deadline of 3rd September 2019 to partnerships@soton.ac.uk. Those applications shortlisted will be invited subsequently to write up a complete WUN RDF application, to be submitted internally by Tuesday 15th October 2019. The official WUN final submission deadline is Thursday 31st October 2019.