Research Development Fund

WUN re-invests a significant proportion of its membership subscriptions to foster international collaborative research. The Research Development Fund (RDF) is an annual competitive fund aimed at bringing together researchers to undertake innovative, high quality, sustainable research that addresses WUN focus areas.

To date, the RDF has invested over £2.8 million into fostering international, interdisciplinary research collaboration.

For further information on the RDF, contact your local WUN Coordinator.

2023 Research Development Fund

WUN is pleased to announce the results of the Research Development Fund 2023 round. Full details can be found here.

2022 Research Development Fund

WUN is pleased to announce the results of the Research Development Fund 2022 round. Full details can be found here.

2021 Research Development Fund

WUN is pleased to announce the results of the Research Development Fund 2021 round on the theme of Mobilising for a Sustainable Future.  Full details can be found here.

2020 Research Development Fund

Results of the 2020 WUN RDF were announced on 11 December 2020.  These awards mark a direct investment in international collaborative research among WUN member universities of approximately £180,000.

 2019 Research Development Fund

Results of the 2019 WUN RDF were announced on 13 December 2019.  These awards, which facilitate collaborative research among WUN universities, brought our financial investment in establishing new WUN Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) to more than £170,000 over the first five months of the WUN year.

 2018 Research Development Fund

Results of the 2018 WUN RDF were announced on 16 December 2018.  A total of over £154,000 invested across 16 projects.

 2017 Research Development Fund

Results of the 2017 WUN RDF were announced on 15 December 2017. A total of over £130,000 was invested across 14 projects.

 2016 Research Development Fund

Reference document:  WUN RDF 2016 Guidelines.

Results of the 2016 WUN Research Development Fund were announced on 15 December 2016, please find the media release here. A total of £111,473 was invested across 12 projects.

 2015 Research Development Fund

The results of the 2015 WUN Research Development Fund were announced on 11 December 2015. A total of £156,213 was invested across 15 projects.

List of 2015 WUN RDF Grants.

Reference documents

 2014 Research Development Fund

The results of the 2014 round of the RDF were announced on 12 December 2014. A total of £189,671 was invested across 19 projects.

List of 2014 WUN RDF Grants

Reference documents

 2013 Research Development Fund

The results of the 2013 round of the RDF were announced on 2 December 2013. A total of £166,786 was invested across 16 projects.

List of 2013 WUN RDF Grants  

 2012 Research Development Fund

The results of the 2012 round of the RDF were announced on 18 December 2012. A total of  £239,000 was invested across 25 projects.

List of 2012 WUN RDF Grants  

 2011 Research Development Fund

The results of the 2011 round of the RDF were announced on 12 December 2011. A total of £198,534 was invested across 17 projects.

List of 2011 WUN RDF Grants  

 2010 Research Development Fund

The results of the 2010 round of the RDF were announced on 18 January 2011. A total of £216,659 was invested across 17 projects.

List of 2010 WUN RDF Grants  

 2009 Research Development Fund

The results of the 2009 round of the RDF were announced on 16 February 2010. A total of £204,416 was invested across 21 projects.

List of 2009 WUN RDF Grants  

Local WUN funding schemes

Most WUN member universities offer seed funding to support the development of WUN research programs. These programs are open only to researchers at the home university and are made available at different times throughout the year. Contact your local WUN Coordinator for further information.

University Funding Scheme Contact
The University of Alberta WUN Research Mobility Fund John Bell
The University of Auckland International Central Networks Fund Addison Pan
The University of Bergen Strategic Program for International Research & Education (SPIRE) Rosa Nogueira
The University of Bristol University of Bristol Funding Opportunities Jo Brooks
The University of Cape Town WUN Research Mobility Program Wilna Venter
The Chinese University of Hong Kong Global Scholarship Programme for Research Excellence

PhD Student Exchange Programme

Schemes for Faculty Members

Yvonne Heung
The University of Leeds Fund for International Research Collaboration Siddeequah Azmi
The University of Rochester Researcher Mobility Travel Grants Megan Bennett-Spears
The University of Sheffield Research Mobility Programme Danielle Bertrand
The University of Southampton Research Mobility Programme

Global Partnerships Award

Research Development Fund

Maria Norton
The University of York WUN RDF Awards Elisha Witcomb