International Office

V2K Strategic Partnership Grant for Collaborations with Kyoto University

The University of Vienna (UNIVIE) is committed to further expanding and strengthening its Strategic Partnership with Kyoto University (KU), established in 2019. In support of this goal, UNIVIE is pleased to announce the third call for its unilateral grant program designed to foster joint projects in research and education across all academic disciplines.

This grant program aims to support UNIVIE faculty by either deepening and broadening existing collaborations or initiating new cooperation projects with KU. Priority will be given to new joint projects.

Project proposals are strongly encouraged to have a public component, such as a talk or culminating event, to establish or strengthen joint research collaborations, and to lead to a joint publication and/or joint submission to external funding agencies.

  • Key facts

    • Discipline: 
      Open to all academic fields,
      priority will be given to new joint projects
    • Funding: 
      Up to EUR 8,000 per project
    • Focus of support: 
      Travel and accommodation costs for UNIVIE and KU researchers, event costs (e.g. catering), facilities use fees (e.g. labs)
    • Locations: 
      Vienna or Kyoto

  • Applicants and team composition

    • Who can apply: 
      Applications should be submitted by a senior faculty member (meaning full professors (o. Univ.-Prof.), assistant professors, or associate professors (ao. Univ.-Prof./Ass.-Prof./Assoc.-Prof.)) who will act as project coordinator. 
    • Team composition: 
      Joint projects are expected to include additional researchers from both universities, and the involvement of early career researchers is possible and encouraged.

  • Call for joint project proposals 2027

    • Submission deadline: 
      24 November 2026
    • How to submit: Send your proposal in English as a single PDF file via email to:
      Janna Kazim 
      Head of International Cooperation
      janna.kazim(at)univie.ac.at
    • Selection decision: Mid-December 2026
    • Funding period duration: 
      January to December 2027
  • Kyoto University
    yu_photo - stock.adobe.com
  • Ian Ehm

    Funding and Eligible Costs

    The maximum funding amount for each project will be EUR 8,000. We highly encourage faculty receiving these grants to seek additional funding sources to support the continuation of their projects beyond the award period.

    The grant is intended to support UNIVIE faculty members in undertaking joint activities with their counterparts at Kyoto University, including:

    • Intensive research workshops, conferences, roundtables, and symposia
    • Seed funding for small research projects
    • Mobility for joint research and meetings
    • The development of joint (PhD) education activities, such as short-term programs (e.g. summer/winter schools), seminars and colloquia
    • Joint publications

    Please note: If you are planning a research stay at KU for two to eight weeks, please apply for a Mobility Fellowship rather than a joint project.
     

    Eligible costs include:

    • Travel expenses for UNIVIE and KU researchers
    • accommodation costs for UNIVIE and KU researchers
    • Project-related costs (such as catering)
    • Facilities use fees (e.g., for labs)

    Please note that the following costs are not eligible to be funded:

    • Costs for renting of seminar rooms
    • Costs for support staff
    • Equipment costs
    • Per diem costs
    • Honoraria
    • Travel and accommodation costs of researchers not affiliated to the University of Vienna or Kyoto University
       

    Application

    The application document (single pdf file) has to include:

    • Project title
    • Name, institute affiliation and contact information of UNIVIE Project Coordinator
    • Name and institute affiliation of the main project partner at KU
    • Name and institute affiliation of additional project participants at UNIVIE and KU
    • Description of the planned project/activity (within 2 pages) including:
      • Project narrative, objectives and significance
      • Place of project/activity (Kyoto/Vienna)
      • Time schedule
      • Future activities closely connected to the project (e.g. joint publications, joint submissions to funding agencies)
    • Detailed budget plan
    • Description how your planned project aligns with the UNIVIE's strategic priorities, if applicable. 

    Selection Criteria

    The following criteria will be taken into account:

    • Scientific quality, innovation and importance of the project;
    • A coherent and clearly formulated activity plan (comprehensible to non-expert reviewers);
    • Outcomes (e.g. joint publications, further project proposals, knowledge transfer) and sustainability of the collaboration (long-term collaboration of the departments beyond the project, e.g. joint teaching, etc.);
    • Contribution to strengthening institutional links between UNIVIE and KU (e.g. project in new field/department, etc., participation of early career researchers);
    • Reasonableness of costs

    Financial Management and Reporting

    The project coordinator will be responsible for the use of funds in accordance with the applicable UNIVIE regulations as well as the documentation of expenditures (invoices, receipts, etc.). Upon completion of the project, the project coordinator will be required to submit an expenditure report along with a narrative report.

    Any questions?

    Any questions regarding the application process can be directed to 

    Janna Kazim 
    Head of International Cooperation
    International Office at the University of Vienna
    janna.kazim(at)univie.ac.at
    +43 1-4277-17312