Partner Funds

A number of funding streams are available to support joint projects between UCL academics and those at UCL's key global partner institutions.

Applications for the 2024/25 partner funds are now closed.

Global partners have matched the funds committed by UCL for the following funding streams, meaning larger overall pots of funding are available.

Please explore our partner funding streams by region (further down this page) for further information.

Please note that some small changes have been introduced ahead of the 24/25 launch of UCL Global Engagement funding schemes (the Global Engagement Funds (GEF) and Partner Funds) in order to increase the reach and breadth of access across UCL.

You can submit a maximum of two proposals across these funding streams, either as a lead applicant or co-applicant. For example, you could submit 1 GEF proposal and 1 partner proposal, or 2 GEF proposals, or 2 partner proposals.
You can receive a maximum of 1 award per scheme as a lead applicant. For example, you could receive 1 GEF award and/or 1 partner award.
If you were the lead applicant of a proposal that received GE seed funding in 23/24, you cannot apply as a lead applicant for any 24/25 GE seed funding schemes, but you will be eligible for the 25/26 schemes. Please note, a special exception can be made where there is strong potential for significant impact and/or scaling up of collaboration with a global partner based on the outcomes of 23/24 project activity. Please contact us if you feel this applies to your activity.

Africa & Middle East

Funding stream	Application window	Description	Funding for	Link
Africa and Middle East Teaching Fund Initiative	24 May to 21 June 2024	Awards of up to £3.5K to help UCL academics collaborate with HE institutions across Africa & Middle East to increase independent teaching capability/capacity in the region.	Teaching activity across Africa & Middle East	Closed
UCL-Wits University Strategic Partner Funds	24 May to 21 June 2024	Awards of up to £5K for UCL-Wits bilateral projects and up to £10K for trilateral/multilateral Wits-UCL-ARUA projects.	All UCL academic staff for activity with the University of Witwatersrand	Closed

If you have any questions or want to be kept informed about funding streams in Africa and the Middle East, please contact Mustafa Sakr (Global Engagement Manager).

East Asia

Funding stream	Application window	Description	Funding for	Link
UCL-Peking University Strategic Partner Funds	6 Sept to 9 Oct	Awards of up to £20k per project are available to support the development of research and education collaboration in all areas.	All UCL academic staff for activity with Peking University	Closed
UCL-Zhejiang University Strategic Partner Funds	16 Sept to 16 Oct	Awards of up to £10k per project are available to support the development of research and education collaboration in all areas.	All UCL academic staff for activity with Zhejiang University	Closed
UCL-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Strategic Partner Funds	20 Sept to 16 Oct 2024	Awards of up to £10k per project are available to support the development of research and education collaboration in all areas.	All UCL academic staff for activity with Shanghai Jiao Tong University	Closed
UCL-Fudan University Strategic Partner Funds	24 May to 21 June 2024	Awards of up to £20k per project are available to support the development of research and education collaboration in all areas.	All UCL academic staff for activity with Fudan University.	Closed
UCL-Osaka University Strategic Partner Funds	24 May to 21 June 2024	Awards of up to £10k per project are available to support the development of research and education collaboration in all areas.	All UCL academic staff for activity with Osaka University	Closed
UCL-Tohoku University Strategic Partner Funds	6 Sept to 9 Oct	Awards of up to £10k per project are available to support the development of research and education collaboration in all areas.	All UCL academic staff for activity with Tohoku University	Closed
UCL-Korea University Strategic Partner Funds	24 May to 21 June 2024	Awards of up to £10k per project are available to support the development of research and education collaboration in all areas.	All UCL academic staff for activity with Korea University.	Closed

If you have any questions or want to be kept informed about funding streams in East Asia, please contact Keiko Tsunekawa (Global Engagement Manager).

South Asia

Funding stream	Application window	Description	Funding for	Link
UCL-IIT Delhi Strategic Partner Funds	6 Sept to 4 Oct	Awards of up to £15K from UCL and Rs. 15 Lakh from IITD to support collaborative activities in the areas of quantum technologies and energy, sustainability and climate.	All UCL academic staff for activity with IIT Delhi	Closed
UCL-AIIMS Strategic Partner Funds	6 Sept to 4 Oct	Awards of up to £5K from UCL and Rs. 5 Lakh from AIIMS to support collaborative activities in the areas of non-communicable diseases, climate change and healthcare, and rare diseases.	All UCL academic staff for activity with AIIMS	Closed

If you have any questions or want to be kept informed about funding streams in South Asia, please contact Mustafa Sakr (Global Engagement Manager).

Australasia

Funding stream	Application window	Description	Funding for	Link
UCL-University of Sydney Strategic Ignition Grants	24 May to 4 Oct	Awards up to the equivalent of approximately AUD20,000/£10,000 from each university for a total of AUD40,000/£20,000 for one year to support collaboration activities.	All UCL academic staff for activity with the University of Sydney.	Closed

If you have any questions or want to be kept informed about funding streams in Australasia, please contact Abel Dorantes (Global Engagement Manager).

North America

Funding stream	Application window	Description	Funding for	Link
UCL-University of Toronto Strategic Partner Funds	6 Sept to 4 Oct	Awards of up to £10K from UCL and $15K CAD from UofT is available to support collaborative research and education projects.	UCL academic staff for activity with University of Toronto	Closed
UCL-Cornell Global Strategic Collaboration Awards (GSCA)	24 May to 4 Oct	Awards up to the equivalent of $5,000/£4,000 from each university for a total of $10,000/£8,000 to support early-stage research projects or capacity-building efforts to create and sustain long-term collaborations.	All UCL academic staff for activity with Cornell University	Closed

If you have any questions or want to be kept informed about funding streams in North America, please contact Abel Dorantes (Global Engagement Manager).

Europe

Matched partner funds with European institutions are currently under discussion. Further details will be published here in the future so please keep an eye on this page or sign up to our mailing list.

Collaboration with European partners is supported by UCL’s Global Engagement Funds and applications for collaborations with European researchers and institutions have historically had high success rates. The next call for applications will open in Spring 2025. Visit our Global Engagement Funds page for more information on how and when to apply.

Examples of previous activities supported by UCL's Global Engagement Funds include:

Case studies

Seeking a mathematical method for tracking marine microplastics - Dr Kang Ren (UCL Mechanical Engineering), UCL-SJTU Strategic Partner Funds
Walking in unwalkable cities in Africa - Dr Daniel Oviedo (UCL Bartlett), UCL-Osaka University Strategic Partner Funds
Understanding how party foot soldiers impact voters in Zimbabwe - Dr Adam Harris (UCL Political Science), UCL-Wits University Strategic Partner Funds
Calculating how earthquakes and tsunami cause damage in Japan - Professor Tiziana Rossetto (UCL Engineering), UCL-Tohoku University Strategic Partner Funds
Protecting Indian migrant labour from underground economy train tickets - Dr Kartikeya Tripathi (UCL Engineering), UCL-IIT Delhi Strategic Partner Funds
Understanding and treating social functioning impairment in dementia - Dr Andrew Sommerlad and Professor Gill Livingston (UCL Psychiatry), UCL-Osaka University Strategic Partner Funds