In partnership with the Office of Vice Chancellor Research & Engagement, the Office of Global Affairs 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:
Partner Engagement Opportunities and Funding Programs
Study or Conduct Research at Hokkaido University (Japan)
UMass Amherst students may apply to Hokkaido University’s Special Auditor (SA) or Special Research Student (SRS) programs through the university’s exchange agreement. SA participants enroll in courses and earn academic credit, while SRS participants engage in faculty-supervised research within a graduate laboratory or research group. Programs are available for one semester or one academic year. Because the program does not provide scholarship funding, it is particularly well suited for graduate students and researchers who already have external research funding or other sources of financial support.
Funding Program
The University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts invite joint proposals from UMass Amherst faculty and collaborators at one of Baden-Württemberg’s nine research universities. This seed funding program supports research visits, workshops, seminars, and collaborative meetings designed to establish new partnerships or advance emerging collaborations in the areas of Health, Performance and Well-being; Agriculture and Food Systems; and Climate, Sustainability and Energy. Up to four projects will be funded in 2027. Applications are due October 30, 2026. For eligibility, funding details, and application instructions, visit the InfoReady competition page.
Submission Deadline: October 30, 2026 (12:00 p.m. Amherst / 6:00 p.m. Stuttgart)
Competition Details and Application:
https://umass.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/2021631
Partner Engagement Opportunity
UMass Amherst faculty and researchers are encouraged to share this opportunity with eligible postdoctoral scholars and early-career researchers interested in expanding their international research networks and exploring collaborations with one of UMass Amherst's strategic partners in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The University of Hohenheim is inviting applications for its Hohenheim NextGen Scientists Symposium, to be held November 16–18, 2026, in Stuttgart, Germany.
The symposium is designed for outstanding early-career researchers who completed their PhD within the last four years and provides an opportunity to present research, engage with leading scholars at Hohenheim, and explore future collaborative research initiatives.
Research sessions will focus on four priority areas:
Microbiome Research in Livestock and Agri-Food Systems
Diversity and Resilience Across Scales in Natural and Agro-Ecosystems
Data-Driven Transformation of Sustainable Agri-Food Systems
Food, Nutrition & Health
In addition to research presentations and discussions, participants will learn about Hohenheim's research infrastructure, receive information on support services for early-career researchers, and obtain personalized guidance regarding future funding opportunities and collaborative research development.
This opportunity aligns well with UMass Amherst's growing engagement with institutions across Baden-Württemberg and offers a valuable pathway for emerging researchers to establish international collaborations and explore future research careers in Germany.
Event dates: November 16–18, 2026
Location: University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
Application deadline: August 2, 2026
More Information and application:
https://www.uni-hohenheim.de/en/hohenheim-nextgen-scientists-symposium
Please note that this is a networking and research engagement opportunity rather than a funding program. Applicants should consult the University of Hohenheim website for information regarding eligibility, participation, and any available support.
International Research Partnership Funding Opportunities
Last updated March 2026. If you have any additions or changes, please request them here.
This resource curates external funding programs that support international and globally engaged research partnerships. It highlights U.S. federal and private funders, international agencies, foundations and multi-country initiatives. The spreadsheet includes each funder name, a primary tag, the origin country/region and whether the program funds U.S. projects.
Download the International Partnership Funding List
What's Included in the Spreadsheet
- Funder: The program or organization name (e.g., National Science Foundation (NSF), NIH Fogarty International Center, Horizon Europe, World Bank)
- Primary Tag: A quick classifier to help you scan opportunities:
- US funding: U.S.-based funders that typically support U.S. researchers.
- Global: Funders with broad, multi‑region scope.
- LMIC focus: programs oriented toward Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).
- US funding (indirect): U.S. support typically flows via in‑country partners or specific mechanisms.
- Origin Country/Region: Where the funder is based (e.g., United States, EU, Japan, Germany, Ireland, Taiwan, International)
- Funding U.S. projects: Indicates whether UMass/US‑based PIs can apply directly (yes), indirectly via partners, or whether eligibility may vary by call.
- International Prestigious Fellowships: Explore international fellowship and award opportunities to advance your global research profile and professional recognition.
Option A: View and filter in Excel (recommended)
- Download the spreadsheet and open it in Microsoft Excel.
- On the Data tab, select Filter (or press Ctrl+Shift+L) to turn on filter arrows.
- Use the column filters to quickly narrow results:
- Primary Tag → choose US funding, Global, or LMIC focus.
- Origin Country → select one or multiple countries/regions (e.g., EU, Germany, Japan).
- Funding U.S. projects? → filter to Yes for direct opportunities or indirectly for partner‑led entry points
- Use Search within a column filter to find specific funders Optional)
- Sort columns (A→Z) to group similar entries, or use Custom Sort (e.g., by Primary Tag then Origin Country).
Option B: Use Google Sheets (if you prefer the browser)
- Upload the file to Google Drive and open with Google Sheets.
- Turn on Create a filter (Data → Create a filter).
- Filter by Primary Tag, Origin Country, or Funding U.S. projects? just as in Excel.
- Use Find (Ctrl+F) or filter search boxes to locate a specific funder or region.
Master Sheet
The master sheet consists of a detailed overview of each funder with their Origin Country, Sponsored Countries, a brief description, the type of research the funder specializes in with a brief description, their URL, whether they fund projects in the U.S. and any additional information.
Funder Region Sheet
This sheet helps you sort funders by the country you want to focus your research on. After downloading the file, go to ‘data’ and turn on ‘filters’, then click the filter icon on column C – Origin Country to select the countries you’d like to focus on, and excel will filter out the funders for you.
Funder College Sheet
This sheet helps you sort funders by the college their research area associates the best with. There’s a slicer inserted in this sheet. Once you download it, you can click the UMass Amherst College you’d like to sort your list through and get a filtered list with the funders most appropriate for your research.
- Combine filters—for example, Primary Tag = LMIC focus and Funding U.S. projects? = Yes—to see globally oriented calls that allow U.S. funding
- Save filtered views as a separate copy (File → Save As) to revisit your shortlists.
- If a row shows Indirectly, click through to the funder’s site (via the program name) to confirm current PI eligibility and partner requirements for the specific call. Eligibility can vary by year or topic.
- Yes: U.S.-based researchers (including UMass) are generally eligible to apply directly as PIs or co‑PIs. (e.g., NSF, NIH, many U.S. foundations).
- Indirectly: Funding typically flows to U.S. teams via international partners, joint calls, or subawards; eligibility may require a foreign lead (e.g., ERC, Enterprise Ireland, some UK and EU mechanisms). Always confirm the latest call text.
- Calls change: Deadlines, eligibility, and cost‑share policies can shift from cycle to cycle. Always verify details on the funder’s official website before preparing an application.
- Partnership expectations: Many programs prioritize genuine, co‑designed international collaboration (e.g., data sharing plans, reciprocal mobility, equitable budget distribution). Review program guidelines carefully.
- LMIC-oriented opportunities: For programs flagged LMIC focus, ensure your project aligns with the funder’s geographic and impact priorities and that you have appropriate in‑country partners.
- The spreadsheet uses clear column headers and simple data validation to support screen reader navigation and filtering.
- If you use the embedded online viewer, enable table headers and provide alt text for any links or icons.
Past Calls
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.
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.
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 was January 6, 2025.
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 was January 6, 2025.
Prospective students should act quickly and start application by December 6, 2024.
The 2024-2025 Researcher Mobility Seed Funding Calls for partnerships between Baden-Württemberg research universities in Germany and University College of Dublin, Ireland, was announced in the Research Ready UMass Newsletter and among Associate Deans of Research.
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.
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.