Call for proposals now open
The initiative will facilitate collaborative project development through a series of online meetings and pitches culminating in an in-person 2-day sandpit at the University of Edinburgh in June 2025. The ambition is to facilitate new conversations that spark ideas across disciplines and approaches and create a platform to support major collaborative projects that are well-positioned to attract external funding.
Key components of the initiative:
- Initial proposal: Submit brief proposals aligned with the thematic focus, with potential for external funding applications. Selected applicants will pitch their ideas during the Online Workshop.
- Online workshop (half-day): Qualified applicants from diverse fields will pitch their ideas, form teams based on shared interests, and explore collaborations within and between universities, potentially leading to an external funding application. Ideas will be collected for the in-person sandpit event.
- In-person sandpit event (Edinburgh): Selected teams will refine their collaborative research proposals during a 2-day event in Edinburgh, focusing on proposal writing and project design to compete for funding, e.g. Horizon Europe.
- Seed funding: Teams attending the Edinburgh event can apply for seed funding up to $20,000 (CAD)/£11,500 (GBP) to support proposal preparation for securing further funding.
Eligibility
Open to faculty and researchers at all career stages at both universities, with a focus on mid-career academics expanding their international and collaborative research.
