Imperial Global Connect Fund

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

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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 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

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

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

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:

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.