Impact Funding Resources
The WUN Research Development Fund (RDF) provides grants of up to £10,000, for one year to foster research collaborations among academic staff (faculty) at WUN member universities.
Grants from the RDF are intended to help stimulate larger collaborative projects that will strengthen WUN and have impact, for example through giving rise to influential publications or making the collaborating partners competitive for major grants.
The RDF supports research projects directed at problems that lie within the network’s principal research theme of sustainable development, and on which a diverse team of collaborating partners confers distinct advantage. These will often be problems where comparative analysis is important.
Grants from the RDF are intended to help stimulate larger collaborative projects that will strengthen WUN and have impact, for example through giving rise to influential publications or making the collaborating partners competitive for major grants.
The RDF supports research projects directed at problems that lie within the network’s principal research theme of sustainable development, and on which a diverse team of collaborating partners confers distinct advantage. These will often be problems where comparative analysis is important.
End Date17 Oct 2025 Funding AmountGBP 10k Funding Resource TypeResearch Grant
Funding ProviderWorldwide Universities Network (WUN)
Research Grant
Worldwide Universities Network (WUN)
Grants from the RDF are intended to help stimulate larger collaborative projects that will strengthen WUN and have impact, for example through giving rise to influential publications or making the collaborating partners competitive for major grants.
The RDF supports research projects directed at problems that lie within the network’s principal research theme of sustainable development, and on which a diverse team of collaborating partners confers distinct advantage. These will often be problems where comparative analysis is important.
The RDF is open to academic staff (faculty members) at WUN member universities
https://wun.ac.uk/wun/members/
Project teams:
A project must engage at least three WUN member universities across at least two regions. Projects may include non-WUN universities and external partners but must have an active core of WUN member universities. Projects led by early career researchers are especially encouraged.
Matching funds:
In the past, awards made from the RDF required matching support from the applicants’ home universities. Matching cash contributions are encouraged but not required and will not factor in the review.
In line with the WUN Strategic Plan 2023-2026, we encourage 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 urbanization; energy transitions; water, and food security
3. Mental health; child and maternal health; ageing
4. Responsible and ethical applications of Artificial Intelligence
Applications will be assessed against the following criteria:
- ACADEMIC QUALITY
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?
- RELEVANCE TO CALL
Within the context of sustainable development, does the project address a problem of consequence in one or more of the focus areas?
- WUN ADVANTAGE
Is the project one that WUN can pursue with advantage? WUN is likely to have special advantage when the research problem:
o Requires distinctive constellations of talent that are best assembled (or can only be assembled) by drawing on multiple partners.
o Presents opportunities for comparative analysis, stemming from member universities’ locations in different geographical and cultural contexts.
o Requires access to unique environments/resources possessed by one or more partners.
- RESEARCH TEAM
Does the project involve a well-qualified team of researchers drawn from relevant disciplines and regions?
- OUTCOME AND IMPACT
Does the application clearly specify what will have been achieved by the end of the funding period of one year, and is there a realistic plan to secure impact? Impact might be achieved through one or more of the following: authoritative research publication(s) or policy paper(s); the project having laid the groundwork for major research funding.
