The international Campus in Campus (CiC) network offers funding of up to €6,000 to launch or strengthen joint research projects with its partner universities.
The
Campus in Campus (CiC) Network, launched by the University of Tsukuba in 2014, consists of 14 universities. It is a campus-sharing program among partner universities designed to leverage their respective research and teaching resources without national or institutional barriers.
In 2025, nine members of the CiC network initiated discussions on a new area of cooperation by establishing a program to support the launch and/or consolidation of joint research projects, the “CiC Joint Research Seed Grant.” The partner institutions involved are as follows:
• Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
• Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
• National Chene Kung University
• National Taiwan University
• Ruhr University Bochum
• Université Grenoble Alpes
• Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
• University of Bordeaux
• University of Tsukuba
This year's academic priorities are:
•
Health, Life Sciences, and Society
Medical Sciences, Biology, Precision Medicine, Ethnic Diversity
Health Care, Digital Health, Palliative Care, Disability Studies
Sports Sciences and Sports Medicine
Global Society, Geopolitics, and Cultural Studies
• Advanced Science and Technology
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Quantum Computing
Robotics
Chemistry, Materials Science, Semiconductors
• Environment, Sustainable Development, and Resilience
Smart Agriculture
Environment, Seismology, Modern Soil Analysis
Energy
Disaster Prevention / National Resilience
Application Guidelines
The project leader must submit a research proposal that they would like to carry out jointly with one or more members of the CiC network.
There are two options for doing so:
- Either the project leader has already identified a team at a partner institution;
- or the selection of the partner team will result from a matchmaking process carried out by the program coordinators within the member institutions of the CiC network.
For this 2026 call, UGA projects must systematically involve the University of Tsukuba (Japan) and/or National Taiwan University (Taiwan), in addition to another CiC partner.
Eligibility Requirements
• The project leader must be a faculty member at UGA or a permanent researcher at a laboratory affiliated with UGA
• The project leader may submit only one application.
• The application must be written in English.
Grant Amount
The maximum grant amount awarded by the UGA is €6,000 per project.
Funding covers international travel for faculty members, hosting researchers from other universities (generally in the form of per diem allowances), international events and meetings, supplies, and additional expenses necessary for the advancement of research.
Evaluation Criteria
• Scientific quality
• Feasibility of the project within the planned timeline
• The project’s leverage effect in securing additional funding
• Relevance of the international partnership, and the quality and complementarity of the teams involved
Project Submission Guidelines
Calendar
There are two deadlines for submitting projects:
- October 28, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
- November 30, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.
The first CiC 2026 committee meeting will be held during the CiC meeting in Ghuwati from November 9 to 11, 2026. The date of the second committee meeting is to be confirmed.
The results are scheduled to be released in December 2026
The projects are to be carried out over the course of one year, from December 2026 to December 2027.
Please note: During the transition to Sifac+, from January through March 2027, it will not be possible to make expenditures through the UGA.
