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.

Joint Research Seed Funding Grants with German and Irish Partners

We are pleased to announce the next round of funding for two collaborative initiatives between UMass Amherst, University College Dublin in Ireland and the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and Arts in Germany. These programs aim to support innovative research partnerships through two types of grants:

Two grants of up to $7,000 for new collaborations
Four grants of up to $20,000 for existing partnerships

Projects should align with themes such as Advanced Materials, Applied Life Sciences, Renewable Agriculture, Sustainability, and Humanities and Societies. We strongly encourage interdisciplinary proposals and the involvement of Early Career Researchers.

The application deadline is May 31, 2025. More information and to apply:

Past Calls

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

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) is open now

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

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.