NTU/U of I Travel Grants Program

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NTU and U of I have each committed to fund up to four selected proposals and offer up to USD $5,000 (NTD $150,000) per selected proposal. Applicants should apply to travel grants of their respective university. NTU Office of International Affairs (OIA) and U of I Office of the Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation (OVPEDI) will administer the program.

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1. Eligibility

1.1 Both NTU and U of I applicants must be full-time faculty members for the duration of the funding period.

1.2 Applicant must identify at least one target collaborator at the other university that motivates the travel.

1.3 Applicant is eligible to receive the travel grant at most twice.

2. Funding Information

2.1 Total funding available for each round is USD $40,000 (approximately NTD $1,200,000), shared equally by NTU and U of I.

2.2 Funding amount per selected proposal is up to USD $5,000 (approximately NTD $150,000). NTU and U of I will each fund up to four projects.

2.3 The actual amount of funding available and number of projects funded in each round will be reviewed and determined annually by mutual agreement between NTU and U of I.

2.4 Funding period at U of I is one year, starting from March 1, 2026 and ending on February 28, 2027. At NTU, the funding period is 10 months, starting from March 1 and ending on December 31, 2026. Unless jointly approved by the coordinators, there will be no extensions beyond this timeframe.

2.5 Any funding not spent by the end of the funding period must be returned so that unspent balances can be re-allocated.

2.6 Funding covers international travel by the funding university’s faculty members and students from the funding university to the partner institution (NTU or U of I) and/or hosting of scholars from the partner institution (daily stipends in principle).

2.7 Funding does not cover consumable supplies and equipment for research and personnel expenses.

2.8 Funding should only be utilized for the selected proposal and approved budget plan.

2.9 All expenses must comply with the guidelines of the respective universities to which reimbursement is to be sought.

3. Application Information

3.1 All proposals must include the following sections:

3.1.1 Applicant CV

3.1.2 A list of target collaborator(s) at the other university that motivates the visit

3.1.3 At least one support letter from the target collaborator(s)

3.1.4 Collaboration background and/or incentive

3.1.5 Travel timeline and agenda

3.1.6 Collaboration prospect up to three pages (a description of the potential collaboration, the desired outcomes and impact of the collaboration)

3.2 To apply, a proposal should be submitted to the online application system.

3.3 Late application will not be considered.

4. Selection and Result Notification

4.1 Proposal selection will be made respectively by NTU and U of I selection committees, which reserve the final authority over the proposal selection taking into account university and faculty strategic priorities and the availability of funding.

4.2 Funding will be provided on a competitive basis, following the selection criteria below:

4.3 Successful applicants will receive a letter of award outlining the process to accept the travel grant.

4.4 Feedback on individual applications will not be provided.

5. Recipient Obligation

5.1 Recipients must mention the funding in all appropriate media, including any events arising from activities supported by this funding should include an acknowledgement of “NTU-U of I Travel Grants Program” and any publications/presentations arising from activities supported by this funding should include acknowledgement of “This publication/presentation is supported in part by the Travel Grants Program between National Taiwan University and the University of Illinois System.”

5.2 Recipients must submit a final report within three months of the end of the funding period that details the travel outcome, impact, and future collaboration plans.

5.3 Recipients must comply with all relevant laws and university regulations, including those relating to intellectual property, codes of conduct, etc.

6. Important Dates

For reference, the important dates of the 2024 round Travel Grants Program are as follows:

7. Coordinator