Funding - Overview
ICUK has at its centre a £3 million Collaboration Development Fund to support staff exchange, feasibility studies, proof-of-concept research and joint commercial research and development projects. Scientists from partner institutions and their Chinese collaborators, with the help of ICUK embedded project managers will jointly identify market-led research and development opportunities and make applications to the ICUK Collaboration Development Fund. MoST will be co-ordinating multiple sources of funding for R&D activities in China through its International Collaboration Fund, National S&T Fund, Chinese HEIs’ own contribution as well as local government funding.
The ICUK Collaboration Development Fund has been divided into two types of funds for which partner HEIs are invited to apply:
- Partnership Grant (up to £15,000) facilitating UK-China collaborations through staff exchange, feasibility study and market research
- Proof-of-Concept Fund (up to £90,000) supporting pre-commercialisation research with clear market potential
There will be regular calls for applications for the above funds throughout the year and the first call for the Proof-of-Concept Fund will be announced during the ICUK launch in November 2007.
Applications for the ICUK Partnership Grant will be reviewed by the Executive team and applications for ICUK Proof-of-Concept Fund will be assessed by an ICUK Collaboration Development Fund panel on a regular basis.
