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Unite! University Alliance's seed fund aims to stimulate and support bottom-up proposals by teachers and researchers for collaborative activities across the nine Unite! universities: 

• Graz University of Technology, Austria
• Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan, Sweden
• Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain
• Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
• Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany
• Politecnico di Torino, Italy
• Institute Polytechnique de Grenoble, France
• Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland
• Aalto University, Finland

The seed fund intends to support exploration and development of attractive and diverse activities and projects, to help secure either the additional funds for a project or to conduct cooperation on joint, ambitious, and innovative ideas within the alliance. 

Focus areas 

The applications should address the following focus areas: 

Funding Line: Unite! Seed Fund for Research and PhD in Unite! Focus Areas 

Unite! invites researchers and research units from at least 3 members universities to submit proposals of collaborative projects. The funding is open to subjects and topics related to the focus areas mentioned above.

Funding Line: Unite! Seed Fund for Teaching and Learning in Unite! Focus Areas 

The objective of this call is to foster the creation of exchange modules within Unite!, i.e. academic programmes that allow students to study at another Unite! university – or at several other Unite! universities – for a certain period, thereby enhancing sustainable student mobility. In the long term, funded projects are expected to be scaled up into fully-fledged , i.e. programmes run by several universities that lead to a Master’s degree.

The funding is open to subjects and topics related to the focus areas mentioned above and is aimed at in-person, hybrid, and/or purely digital formats. The Unite! university alliance invites teaching staff, teaching, and learning units to send proposals of collaborative projects.

Funding 

How to apply? 

Read carefully the funding documents. During the application preparation phase, please contact Unite! Key Liaison Officer at Aalto, Minna-Kaarina Forssén, tel +358 50 911 5262, so that we are able to coordinate applications from Aalto. Supporting document from the dean of your school or head of unit should be attached to your application.

The deadline for all applications is 20 March 2025. Funding decisions are expected in early June. Applications should be emailed to: seedfund@unite-university.eu. 

Virtual matchmaking events

Are you looking for partners for your Unite! Seed Fund proposal? A virtual matchmaking event will be organised with the aim of bringing into contact potential collaboration partners from the Unite! universities. It is possible to register either as a ‘coordinator’ (with a project idea) or as a ‘partner’ (who is looking for a coordinator). During the virtual meeting, there will be one breakout room per project idea.

For Teaching & Learning proposals

Date and time: Wednesday, 12 February 2025, 15-17. Sign up by 9 February . 

For Research & PhD proposals 

Date and time: Friday, 14 February 2025, 14 – 16. Sign up by 11 February . 

Questions?

For Teaching and Learning – contact Minna-Kaarina.Forssen@aalto.fi, +358 50 911 5262

For Reseach and PhD – contact sven.bossuyt@aalto.fi

Frequently asked questions 

1.  Who can apply?

Funding Line: Teaching and Learning

• Teachers (Professors, academic staff)
• Teaching & Learning units

Funding Line: Research and PhD

• Doctoral Researchers (may need local coordinator who can receive funds)
• Early-career Researchers (Post-docs, Ad-hoc lecturer/professor etc)
• Research Units (Doctoral Schools/programmes, Research centres, PhD communities etc.) 
• Tenured Researchers (Professors, Associate Professors etc.)

2.  What can be funded?

• Personnel costs should be included with clear justification (e.g., organisational tasks, conceptualising, preparatory work, accrediting, applying, setting up conditions). 
• Travel expenses (sustainable modes of travel preferred, Erasmus+ mobility schemes should be used wherever possible).
  • Travel costs must be covered (and applied for) by the universities sending students/staff to another university. The host university cannot pay travel costs of visiting students and staff. 
• Other costs that can be funded include material resources, research consumables, on-site/blended workshops, external service providers (e.g., moderators, language services). 
  • The purchase of equipment cannot be funded.
  • The Seed Fund can cover the costs for transferring course materials to the Metacampus (see below and contact metacampus@unite-university.eu for any questions)
• In general, overhead costs cannot be included in the budget plan. In case this poses problems as to the internal regulations of your institution, please contact your Unite! Key Laison Officer () as well as the Unite! Seed Fund management at seedfund@unite-university.eu.
• The seed fund does not cover PhD or Post-doc stipends/grants for individuals nor staff cost for teaching or grants/stipends for students

3.  What are the application requirements?

Applications must comprise of research/academic staff or teachers or teaching units from at least three Unite! member universities.     

4.  What are the necessary supporting documents?

Supporting documents by the dean of studies of the participating departments of the universities.

5.  When is the application deadline?

Due date: 20 March 2025

6.  When are the evaluation decisions expected?

Decisions will be taken early June 2025.

7.  Who should be contacted for application guidance and further questions?

Inquiries can be emailed to: seedfund@unite-university.eu or you can contact the following people at Aalto: 

For Teaching and Learning – contact Minna-Kaarina.Forssen@aalto.fi, +358 50 911 5262

For Reseach and PhD – contact sven.bossuyt@aalto.fi

Questions about Joint Programmes - contact eija.kujanpaa@aalto.fi

Questions about Collaborative Courses - contact melina.nummi@aalto.fi

8.  How should the applications be submitted?

• Applications should be emailed to: seedfund@unite-university.eu latest 20 March 2025