Worldwide Universities Network

The Worldwide Universities Network Research Development Fund (WUN RDF) is an annual competitive fund that aims to bring together researchers from WUN member universities to undertake innovative, high quality, sustainable research that addresses global challenges.

WUN RDF Funding

The WUN RDF offers grants of up to £10,000 (A$19,000) to foster innovative, international collaborative research programs. Matching cash contributions are encouraged but not required and will not factor in the review. UTS will contribute up to A$5,000 towards each successful UTS application, where necessary and justifiable.  

For information on what expenditure categories WUN RDF funds support, please refer to ‘Annex: Permitted Uses of RDF Funds’ in the 2024 WUN RDF Guidelines. 

Eligibility

The RDF is open to academic staff (faculty members) at WUN member universities.

UTS academics may participate in these projects as Principal Investigators or Co-Investigators. Each WUN member university may submit a maximum of two applications with its researchers as Principal Investigators.  

There is no limit to the number of applications that can be submitted by other WUN member universities, which include UTS researchers as Co-Investigators.

Each project must engage at least three WUN member universities, including UTS, in at least two regions. WUN regions are defined as Latin America, North America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. The collaboration can include non-WUN universities and other external partners, but must have an active core of WUN member universities. Projects led by early career researchers are especially encouraged.

2024 Focus Areas

In line with the WUN Strategic Plan 2023-2026, the WUN RDF encourages proposals that address problems in one or more of the following areas within the context of sustainable development:

1. Social justice and human rights; inequality 
2. Sustainable world: cities and urbanisation; energy transitions; water and food security 
3. Mental health; child and maternal health; ageing 
4. Responsible and ethical applications of Artificial Intelligence

Important Information for this round 

Early Career Researchers. Proposals are welcome from researchers across all career stages.  Projects whose teams include (or are led by) early career researchers, are especially encouraged.  Projects led by early career researchers (principal investigators) will be given extra points during the review.  On the application form, we ask applicants to indicate if their university considers them an early career researcher. 

It is a requirement that applications are not an extension of, or minor variations on, previous RDF funded projects.  This is contained in the 2024 WUN RDF Guidelines Assessment Criteria ‘How applications are assessed: Academic Quality’ section as follows:  – Is the project academically rigorous, and does it address a new research problem or take an existing WUN research program in a significantly new direction?

To learn about the assessment criteria, categories of expenditure and reporting, please read the the 2024 WUN RDF Guidelines carefully.

UTS Call for Letters of Intent

The Letter of Intent (LOI) is an informal one-page overview of your proposed research idea. It is an internal process at UTS prior to submitting two applications via the WUN platform. Two LOIs will be selected at UTS to be developed into full proposals.

The LOI should address: 

• Project summary 
• Assessment criteria 
• List of co-investigators and their corresponding universities 
• Funding requested 
• Categories of expenditure you are planning to use funding for

Please note that you should only submit an LOI if your intention is that UTS will be the lead institution on your project.

How to submit an LOI

1. Identify collaborators from the WUN member universities list, who are interested in submitting a joint proposal.
2. Download the LOI form PDF to view a preview of the questions. Discuss and prepare the proposal with your collaborators. 

Application process timeline

Contact us

Innes Ireland 
Deputy Director, Global Engagement 
UTS WUN Coordinator 
Email: innes.ireland@uts.edu.au

Ana Paula Ruiz 
Manager, Global Partnerships  
Email: ana.ruiz@uts.edu.au

Kumar Jain
Engagement Manager, Global Partnerships
Email: kumar.jain@uts.edu.au
 

View the list of WUN member universities (WUN website) or below:

Australia

University of Technology Sydney

Brazil

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

Canada

University of Alberta

Ghana

University of Ghana

Germany

Ruhr University Bochum

Greater China

Chinese University of Hong Kong

National Cheng Kung University

Renmin University of China

Japan

University of Tsukuba

Mexico

Tecnológico de Monterrey 

New Zealand

The University of Auckland

South Africa

University of Cape Town

University of Pretoria

Switzerland

University of Lausanne

Thailand

Mahidol University

The Netherlands

Maastricht University

Uganda

Makerere University

UK

University of Exeter

University of Sheffield

University of Bristol

University of Leeds

University of York

USA

University of Rochester