University Funding Opportunities : Office of Global Affairs : UMass Amherst

In partnership with the Office of Vice Chancellor Research & Engagement, the International Programs Office may open calls for modest seed-funding or researcher mobility grants with global partners. Researchers are encouraged to build upon these programs by pursuing larger joint-funding opportunities through the review of the following resources:

Open and Upcoming Calls

New Researcher Mobility Calls will be posted here as they become available.

HU–UMA Joint Research Seed Fund: Call for Proposals (2026–2027)

The University of Massachusetts Amherst and Hokkaido University invite faculty to apply for the HU–UMA Joint Research Seed Fund, supporting new or emerging bilateral research collaborations. Grants of up to $8,000 (and one award up to $20,000) will fund research visits, workshops, and collaborative activities aligned with priority thematic areas. The call opens December 5, 2025, with applications due February 2, 2026.

Apply here

Past Calls

IAPP Vietnam: See Grant Proposal

As part of UMass Amherst’s participation in the 2025 International Academic Partnership Program (IAPP) Vietnam, faculty were invited to apply for seed funding to launch or strengthen collaborations with Vietnamese higher education institutions. Coordinated by the Institute of International Education and supported by the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam, the program funded joint U.S.–Vietnam projects aligned with priority areas including engineering, healthcare, agriculture and biotechnology, and English-medium instruction. Awards of up to $15,000 supported projects implemented within six months, with proposals due August 1, 2025.

Joint Research Seed Funding Grants with German and Irish Partners

UMass Amherst announced a joint call for research seed funding in partnership with University College Dublin (Ireland) and the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and Arts (Germany). The programs supported innovative international research collaborations through grants of up to $7,000 for new partnerships and up to $20,000 for established collaborations. Priority areas included advanced materials, applied life sciences, renewable agriculture, sustainability, and humanities and societies. Interdisciplinary proposals and the participation of Early Career Researchers were strongly encouraged. Applications were due May 31, 2025.

Hokkaido University and UMass Amherst Open Call for Joint Research Seed Funding – Closed

To strengthen current partnerships between the University of Massachusetts and Hokkaido University (HU), the UMass Amherst Office of Global Affairs (OGA) and the Office of Research and Engagement are excited to announce a call for seed funding. Collaborating with HU, both institutions are providing grants for their faculty to take part in activities such as researcher mobility (travel), organization of joint symposia, or other joint activities. Priority areas for engagement will focus on novel, multidisciplinary projects tackling five strategic themes: Advanced Materials, Applied Life Sciences, Renewal Agriculture, Sustainability, and Humanities & Societies. 

Grants up to $8,000 are available per applicant and the call is open to faculty from all disciplines. The application deadline is January 6, 2025.

Application for the MEXT Scholarship: IGP special quota (admission in October 2024)– Closed

Prospective students should act quickly and start application by December 6, 2024.

Academic Year 2024 – 2025 Researcher Mobility Seed Funding: Baden-Württemberg research universities, Germany and University College of Dublin, Ireland – Closed

We will announce the 2024-2025 Researcher Mobility Seed Funding Calls for partnerships between Baden-Württemberg research universities in Germany and University College of Dublin, Ireland, later this autumn. We will distribute the notices here, in the Research Ready UMass Newsletter, and among Associate Deans of Research. Please email @email to add yourself to the Global Partnerships office's list for direct communication regarding openings.

2024 Seed Funding for Strategic Research Initiatives – Closed

UMass Amherst and University College of Dublin (UCD) are launching a 2024 Seed Funding for Strategic Research Initiatives call for academics and researchers tackling three strategic themes: Sustainability, Empowering Societies and Communities, and Advanced Materials and Manufacturing. The joint Seed Funding aims to foster novel, multidisciplinary approaches to these themes. The call is open to all disciplines, including STEM, Agriculture, Animal Sciences, Health, Social Sciences, Business, and Arts and Humanities. UCD, Ireland's most globally engaged university, is a leading research-intensive institution with over 38,000 students from 152 countries. The seed funding will further develop and strengthen the partnership between the two institutions, facilitating researchers to engage in an internationalized environment and provide global dimensions to key research topics.

2023-2024 Researcher Mobility Program – Closed

The University of Massachusetts is providing small travel grants for researchers to visit university campuses in the state of Baden-Württemberg, with the intent of establishing new research collaborations or strengthening existing partnerships. Faculty members and librarians at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who are interested in working more closely with partners at any of the nine research universities in Baden-Württemberg and who wish to become actively involved in the state-to-state program can apply for funding.