In this section

Imperial Global Connect Fund

Applications

Applications for the Imperial Global Connect Fund are now open.

The Imperial Global Connect Fund provides opportunities for Imperial's community to establish impactful, long-term collaborations with global partners through the university's international hubs

The mission of the Imperial Global network is to be a visible presence for Imperial in pivotal and emerging regions worldwide, increasing brand awareness and profile, fostering relations and establishing deep links between the university community and regional partners. Our first hubs are in Singapore, Ghana, the USA and India.

The Imperial Global Connect Fund aims to support the development of the regional hubs through seeding high-impact research, education, innovation, and student experience opportunities.

Each Imperial Global hub is supported by a dedicated local team that plays a crucial role in facilitating activities, offering partnership insights, and ensuring ongoing connectivity. These teams provide access to convening spaces, local expertise, and resources that help strengthen partnerships and foster collaboration. Additionally, each hub has appointed academic leads or directors who actively contribute to community building, driving initiatives that expand opportunities for the Imperial community.

The fund seeks to support projects aligned with three key aims:

Supporting interdisciplinary research consortia
Developing innovation and enterprise activities

Enhancing education and student experience

All funded projects must aim to support the development of the Imperial Global network:

Imperial Global Singapore is a new presence on Singapore’s CREATE campus with opportunities to develop large scale interdisciplinary research programmes funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Singapore. It will allow us to develop significant new research, training and translation programmes with partners across Southeast Asia.

Imperial Global Ghana is a knowledge hub in Accra focused on developing collaboration on research, technology, education and entrepreneurship between West Africa and the UK. The hub builds on Imperial’s established partnerships in the region, including in medical diagnostics, vaccine research, AI and data science, climate science, sustainable cities and entrepreneurship training.

Imperial Global USA is a science and technology hub based at SHACK15 in San Francisco dedicated to developing a two-way flow of ideas, capital, and talent that expand transatlantic research, innovation and education networks. The hub supports our growing US alumni network and showcases more of what makes Imperial special to prospective students and future research leaders.

Imperial Global India will maximise Imperial’s profile and partnerships in an emerging scientific and industrial superpower, strengthen the important knowledge bridge between UK-India, and enable the next generation of STEMB talent to drive research, education and innovation for a healthier, climate-resilient, secure world. Based in Bengaluru, this hub will strengthen engagement with partners across India.

While Imperial’s global hubs will also drive recruitment, alumni engagement, fundraising, career development and extended learning, this fund focuses specifically on supporting research, innovation & enterprise, education, and student experience initiatives.

Key Themes & Priorities

We will aim to fund a balance of projects across the following three themes.

Interdisciplinary research consortia and convergence science

We are looking to fund projects that will:

Develop ambitious interdisciplinary research consortia with partners in hub locations and regions.
Help convergence science programmes to scale up by targeting external funding opportunities in hub locations and regions.
Foster collaborations with non-academic organisations to translate research knowledge into tangible benefits for society in hub locations and regions.

Example activities:

Workshops for brainstorming, co-creation, and developing large-scale interdisciplinary research programmes.
Hosting focused thematic conferences on cutting-edge interdisciplinary research, showcasing the work of the consortia and connecting with potential funders, such as foundations, investors, and government agencies.

Development of partnerships that support pathways to impact, ensuring translation through engagement with end users, policymakers, hospitals, industry, and NGOs.

Notes

Priority is given to applications that build strategic interdisciplinary collaborations at group, departmental, or school of convergence science level. The fund is unable to support individual PI-PI interactions.
Applications focused on developing activities with National University of Singapore (NUS) or Nanyang Technological University (NTU) may be redirected to the Imperial-NUS Research Seed Fund or the Imperial-NTU Research Seed Fund, respectively.

Innovation and enterprise activities

We are looking to fund projects that will:

Connect Imperial entrepreneurs and accelerator programmes to networks that help create new businesses and commercialise university technologies.
Engage industry, tech companies, or investors in our research, innovation, or entrepreneurship.

Example activities:

International venture treks for Imperial spin-outs, connecting them to global collaborators, investors, and partners.
Workshops, events or challenge days that develop ambitious industry-research partnership opportunities.

Education and student experience

We are looking to fund projects that will:

Develop new teaching, learning, and interdisciplinary student experience opportunities that bring students and staff together (from Imperial and partners) in hub locations and regions for virtual and in-person programmes.
Harness digital technologies to provide new avenues for developing international exchange and partnerships in education which have the potential to benefit more students than ever before.
Develop and deliver training programmes or modules that support the demand from students for more opportunities for interdisciplinary activity and convergence science experience.

Example activities:

Summer Schools, joint projects, hackathons, workshops and experiential learning opportunities that foster student entrepreneurship or convergence science skills.

Notes

Projects can be either curriculum based or extracurricular.
Curriculum based opportunities must have approval from relevant committees / faculty.
Applications focused on developing activities with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) may be redirected to the Imperial-NTU Education Fund.

Eligibility

Eligibility criteria

The lead applicant must be a current employee of Imperial.
For lead applicants on fixed term contracts, your contract end date must last at least as long as the project you are applying for.
Others – including honorary or visiting researchers, students, alumni, staff employed by Imperial Global hubs – are welcome to be involved as co-applicants or collaborators.
Projects should align with the fund’s key themes and support Imperial Global's international hub activities. See 'Selection Criteria' for details.

Other points

Short-listed applications may be invited to co-develop their ideas further with the Imperial Global network teams in Singapore, San Francisco, Bengaluru, or Accra, to ensure alignment with the priorities of the network.
Lead applicants of funded projects are expected to provide a report after project completion, and to engage with the International Relations Office about opportunities to speak about their project.
In line with Sustainable Imperial, all travel for in-person engagement must be justified by its alignment with programmes offering sustainable, long-term benefits. Applicants should ensure that preparatory and exploratory engagement is conducted online wherever possible to minimise environmental impact.

Funding & eligible costs

Funding

The Imperial Global Connect Fund has an annual budget of £70,000 for each of the four hubs (Singapore, USA, Ghana, and India).

Typical awards are expected to be in £4,000-£10,000 range. Budget requests should not exceed £12,000. Applicants are strongly encouraged to identify match-funding options e.g from partners or other internal development or seed funds.
12-month spending limit (from the date of hearing the funding outcome)

As funding is limited, we encourage early applications. The scheme may close early if funds are exhausted.

Eligible Costs

Networking events (e.g., workshops, training academies, seminars) fostering collaboration and new links
Funding to support capability-mapping or proposal development to target external funding opportunities (e.g buyouts of a PhD student or postdoc time)
Student support costs (e.g., bursaries)
Research consumables (up to 10% of the total budget)
Small project-related equipment
Travel, accommodation, and subsistence

Ineligible Costs

Salaries
Bench fees

Indirect and estate costs

Selection Criteria

Proposals will be reviewed by a panel of experts convened by the International Relations Office. They will be scored using the following criteria.

Interdisciplinary research consortia

Importance, creativity, and potential impact of the activity, with an emphasis on synergy and convergence science between research groups at Imperial and international partners.

Potential for external funding through the development of consortia or a project base to scale activity, and the likelihood of leading to successful joint grant application(s).

Wider institutional benefits, including the value the partnership or consortia will bring to other departments, faculties, centres, students, and staff by fostering networks in the country or region.

Engagement with the Imperial Global network.

Value for money.

Innovation and enterprise activities

Importance, creativity, and potential impact of the activity, with an emphasis on building enterprise and innovation networks in the country/ region.

Business development potential for new enterprise and innovation partnerships and enhancing Imperial's global reputation for enterprise.

Wider institutional benefits, including the value the partnership or network will bring to other departments, faculties, centres, students, and staff by fostering networks in the country or region.

Engagement with the Imperial Global network.

Value for money.

Education and student experience

Importance, creativity, and potential impact of the activity, with an emphasis on building education and student experience opportunities with partners in the region which offer sustainable long-term benefits.

Potential for new education and student experience projects that develop Imperial graduate attributes and enhance Imperial's global reputation for research and innovation-led STEMB education.

Wider institutional benefits, including the value the partnership or network will bring to other departments, faculties, centres, students, and staff by fostering networks in the country or region.

Engagement with the Imperial Global network.

Value for money.

Application process & deadlines

All applicants must complete the Imperial Global Connect Fund Application Form, including a detailed project plan with clear objectives, timeline, and budget breakdown. Applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis:

Deadline:	Application outcome:
Tuesday 4 February 2025	Monday 3 March 2025
Tuesday 4 March 2025	Monday 31 March 2025
Tuesday 1 April 2025	Tuesday 6 May 2025
Tuesday 6 May 2025	Monday 2 June 2025
Tuesday 3 June 2025	Monday 30 June 2025
Further deadlines TBC

The annual budget is £70,000 for each of the four hubs (Singapore, USA, Ghana, and India). As funding is limited, we encourage early applications. The scheme may close early if funds are exhausted.

Contact Information

Imperial Global Connect Fund

globalseedfunds@imperial.ac.uk

International Relations Office
Imperial College London
Faculty Building Level 2
South Kensington Campus
London
SW7 2AZ

Tel: +44(0)20 7594 2897

Guidance Notes

Application Form