To encourage bilateral exchange among researchers and students, promote academic collaboration and talent cultivation, and lay a solid foundation for future Grand Challenge Projects and international partnerships, the University Academic Alliance in Taiwan (UAAT) and the University of Illinois System (U of I) are jointly launching a call for proposals.
I. Project Research Themes
- Semiconductor + Quantum
- AI & Data across all fields
II. Project Team
- Project proposals shall be submitted as a single integrative team project.
- Both UAAT and U of I applicants must be full-time, tenure-track faculty members for the duration of the funding period.
- Each project must have at least one UAAT principal investigator (PI) and one U of I PI.
- Each individual applicant may serve as PI on only one proposal under this call. Individuals may participate in other proposals as co-investigators or collaborators.
- Each project must include at least 2 UAAT member universities and 1 U of I member university/institution (including the universities to which the PIs belong). The list of member universities in UAAT and member institutes in U of I can be found in Attachment 1.
- Priority will be given to applying teams which have not received previous support within this scheme. Projects that received funding in a prior cycle must submit a proposal with a substantially different focus when submitting new proposals in the current cycle, highlighting the differences between the new proposal and the previous one, especially with regard to their vision and expected impact.
III. Project Funding
- Each approved project will receive a total grant of USD $150,000, with USD $75,000 awarded to the UAAT Principal Investigator and USD $75,000 awarded to the U of Illinois Principal Investigator.
- A minimum of four projects will be funded. The total amount is determined based on the review outcomes and the overall budget.
IV. Application and Project Duration
- Application Deadline: August 14, 2026 by 11:59 PM (Central Time).
- Project Period: From December 1, 2026 to November 30, 2027.
V. How to Apply:
Please read through the Proposal Template (see Attachment 2) and Call for Proposals (see Attachment 3), and then submit the joint project proposal to the online application system.
VI. Webinar Matchmaking:
UAAT and U of I will jointly hold a webinar on June 25 from 9:00 to 10:00 AM Taiwan Time. Faculty interested in participating in this project can register at Information and Partnering Webinar before June 19. Participation in the webinar and two-minute pitch session is optional. PIs are strongly encouraged to participate, particularly those seeking to connect with potential collaborators and explore partnership opportunities, both for this call and beyond.
VII. Important Dates
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Milestones
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Dates
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Call for Proposals published
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June 1, 2026
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RSVP for Information and Partnering Webinar
RSVP at link
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June 19, 2026
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Submit slides for optional two-minute talk during Webinar
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June 22, 2026 at 12pm (Central Time)
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Information and Partnering Webinar
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June 24, 2026 at 8 – 9 pm (Central Time)
June 25, 2026 at 9 – 10 am (Taiwan Standard Time)
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Project proposal submission deadline
Submit at link
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August 14, 2026 by 11:59 PM (Central Time)
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Announcement of awards
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November 2026
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Proposed activities commence
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December 1, 2026
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Contact
University of Illinois System
Heidi Leerkamp
Office of the Vice President for Economic Development and Innovation
Email: leerkamp@uillinois.edu
Phone: +1 217-333-7774
University Academic Alliance in Taiwan
Chia-Lin Huang (黃佳琳經理)
Manager, Secretariat of University Academic Alliance in Taiwan (UAAT)
Email: clhuang636@ntu.edu.tw
Phone：+886 (0) 2 3366 3267